Hoboken Residents Have Another Chance to Speak About Yards Redevelopment Project

The Hoboken City Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. to provide members of the public with an additional opportunity to provide comments on the Hoboken Rail Yard Redevelopment Plan and the Planning Board’s recommendations regarding the plan to the City Council.

The meeting will be held in Council Chambers in Hoboken City Hall, located at 94 Washington Street. No action will be taken at the meeting.

The Yards Redevelopment Plan, the largest construction project in Hoboken since 1880s, would allow NJ Transit and developer LCOR to build 2.3 million square feet of new office space, residential housing, and retail space.

Some of the buildings proposed in the project could be around 280 feet high, which has some local residents fearing that the city could become “a giant wall of buildings.”

The current plan under consideration is a revised plan that is drastically different from the original plan proposed by NJ Transit in 2008; a 9 million square foot project featuring a 70-story tower. In light of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, the new plan also includes flood mitigation details.

The Hoboken Rail Yards Task Force, a group of concerned Hoboken citizens, has expressed concern over the project, noting that a “careful, measured, audited approach” is needed.

The Planning Board reviewed the plan on Tuesday, Dec. 2, and concluded that it was consistent with the City of Hoboken Master Plan. The plan will be considered for second and final reading by the City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014.

“This plan represents the results of an extensive City Council and community process to find consensus,” Mayor Dawn Zimmer said. “It is my hope that all of the parties will objectively evaluate this project and move forward in the best interests of our State and our City.”

The public is invited to view the plan, plan presentation, economic analysis, and overview of changes compared to the 2012 draft plan at the following links:

• Redevelopment Plan: http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/communitydev/Hoboken-Yard-Redevelopment-Plan-October-2014.pdf
• Planning Board Resolution and Recommendations: http://www.hobokennj.org/content/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/PB-Resolution-Hoboken-Rail-Yard-Redevelopment-Plan-12-4-14.pdf
• Presentation for the Redevelopment Plan:http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/communitydev/Hoboken-Yard-Redevelopment-Plan-Presentation.pdf
• Economic Analysis: http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/communitydev/Hoboken-Yard-Redevelopment-Plan-Economic-Analysis.pdf
• Plan Changes Since 2012 Draft Plan: http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/communitydev/Hoboken-Yard-Redevelopment-Plan-Changes.pdf