Community Rooms in Housing Authority Renovated

Housing Authority and other Hoboken officials celebrated the renovations of the community room at 411 Marshall Dr. on Monday morning, with coffee and donuts as well as a ribbon cutting ceremony. 

"This is truly a remarkable milestone," said HHA Executive Director Carmelo Garcia, as he looked around the newly renovated room, which includes a new kitchen, clean bathrooms and a—working—sound system. 

Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Romano attended the ceremony as well, called the renovations a "tremendous change and a tremendous improvement." 

Renovations of the community rooms—there's also a new room at 311 Harrison St.—cost a combined total of $415,000. Money for the renovation came from the U.S. Department of Housing and Development. 

"It's an honor and a pleasure to stand in this room," said Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, who grew up in the Housing Authority.  

Several other housing commissioners also attended Monday morning's ribbon cutting, as well as Councilmen David Mello and Michael Lenz. Representatives for HUD and Sen. Menendez' office were also there. 

Before the renovations, the community room at 411 Marshall—which was being used by the 598 families who live in Andrew Jackson Gardens, according to Garcia—was mold-infested and had bars on the windows. The bars have been removed and the mold has been cleaned, said Garcia.

Housing Authority residents can rent the room for parties, for a total of $200 (of which $100 is a security deposit), said Garcia. Currently the room is being used for a drug-prevention program and it's closed during the day, to prevent loitering. 

Making improvements such as these, said Garcia, will help "removing that old stigma of the projects."