Hoboken Hopes To Bring Housing, Light Rail Stop To North Border

HOBOKEN, NJ — The city of Hoboken last week released a proposed North End Redevelopment Plan to revitalize 30 acres of land in the historically industrial northwest area of Hoboken. Residents may offer questions and comments after a public presentation at the Jan. 27 City Council meeting.

The plan includes a proposal for a new Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station at 15th Street, commercial and residential development, public open space to connect to a city-wide green circuit, affordable housing, pedestrian-oriented retail corridor along 15th Street, and the raising of streets to accommodate underground flood infrastructure.

The area is just south of the city's border with Weehawken and already contains residential buildings, shops, restaurants, a book store, a park, a professional regional theater, and the 14th Street Viaduct.

The Jan. 27 meeting will take place virtually starting at 7 p.m., and will be broadcast on the City of Hoboken’s Facebook page.

The Draft Redevelopment Plan sets the permitted uses and development standards for the North End Rehabilitation Area properties.

If the Redevelopment Plan is adopted by the council, any property located within the North End Redevelopment Plan Area will need to submit an application to the city to be designated as a redeveloper, and each Redevelopment Agreement will need to be negotiated with the city.

Interestingly, the possibility of a train stop near 15th Street in Hoboken first made news in 2014 when Hoboken officials alleged that a member of Gov. Chris Christie's administration had pressured Mayor Dawn Zimmer to expedite development in that area because of a development group connected to a close Christie ally.

The future of the area

The proposal also includes guidelines for establishing a multi-modal circulation network, shared parking, new parks and open space, sustainable land use and development, and new public infrastructure. The Draft Plan was prepared by a consulting team hired by the City, WRT, and guided by the City Council North Subcommittee and Community Development staff.

“We are excited to move forward with plans to revitalize an area of town that will provide a number of community benefits to our city,” said Mayor Ravi Bhalla. “Once adopted, I look forward to continuing our discussion with New Jersey Transit for the installation of a new light rail station at 15th Street, that will provide a critical mass transit connectivity for our current and future residents, and transportation hubs.”

“This final product reflects several years of hard work and collaboration with the community,” said Councilwoman Jen Giattino. “I look forward to a North End that includes new businesses, commercial corridors, without overdevelopment that would threaten the charm and character of our city.”

The planning process to adopt the plan included two community workshops that were facilitated by WRT on March 14, 2019 and Sept. 24, 2019; stakeholder meetings with NJ TRANSIT, North Hudson Sewage Authority and area landowners, and frequent meetings with the City Council North Subcommittee and city staff.

Prior opportunities for public participation, including a community survey and additional workshops, had been conducted by DMR Architects, the consultant working on the project from 2015-2017, prior to the city’s engagement of the WRT team in 2018.

The plan was developed to ensure that buildings do not exceed the height of the Palisades Cliffs, the city said.

The Draft North End Redevelopment Plan can be downloaded by clicking here.

See a prior story on the developing area here.

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