Hoboken Previews First Street Revitalization

Hoboken officials unveiled a proposed branding and street sign campaign under an $880,000 plan to revitalize the First Street small business district.

The plan, which will later incorporate a series of new benches, bike parking, rain gardens and other improvements, is designed to make it easier for visitors to find major landmarks and public facilities and help pedestrians and drivers navigate a city that long-time residents say can be challenging.

T&M Associates, a Middleton, N.J.-based engineering consulting firm, and its subcontractor M Studio, previewed a series of branding campaigns and street signage that will help residents and visitors locate key points of interest, ranging from parks to parking garages and public transportation.

“We want to make sure folks that are visiting the city can get around,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer, at a public forum the city’s Multi-Service Center on Grand Street.

The consultants presented two proposed brand concepts, including one called “Not So Square” which incorporates the idea of Hoboken’s reputation as the Mile Square City, an urban village with waterfront dining, shopping and a thriving nightlife scene. The other concept is called ”Regeneration” which considers the evolving nature of city’s residents and neighborhoods.

Feedback was decidedly mixed on the campaign, with some small business owners excited about the opportunity to drive new visitor traffic, while other long-time residents were concerned that given efforts to recover from Hurricane Sandy that the funds should be redirected.

The $880,000 grant is funded by a Community Development Block Grant through the state Economic Development Authority under a disaster recovery program following the 2012 storm, which left most of the city underwater and led to a major economic plan to protect the city from future storm damage.

Half of the funding will go towards the branding and signage campaign, while the remaining funds will go towards the streetscape improvements in a 12-block area from Paterson Avenue to Bloomfield Street in the city.

Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed by December, once bids are finalized. A second public meeting on the proposed campaign is set for February, but a date has not been specified.