By Steve Spinello | FBW | February 6, 2013
In 1988, the State of New Jersey adopted a law to establish an 18.5 mile public walkway beginning at the Bayonne Bridge and stretching north to the George Washington Bridge. More than two decades later, the public walk is nearly complete. What began as a simple idea was transformed into a reality. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway (HRWW), as it is called, provides an opportunity for the public to walk, run and cycle along the water’s edge while enjoying spectacular views of the New York City skyline across the Hudson River. However, the HRWW faces a new threat to the state-required 24-hour public access requirement. If promoters and elected boosters have their way, starting in June of 2014 the continuous walkway in Weehawken will be cut off to the public each year to make way for a high-speed race.
The proposal, first announced by Governor Christie and local officials in October 2011, includes the construction of a three-mile racetrack for the Formula One Grand Prix of America racing event to be held annually over a ten-year period. Construction is already underway at Port Imperial South, adjacent to Weehawken’s ferry terminal, with plans for a high-speed circuit, grandstands, parking garages, and several fan amenities. While the track was originally slated to open in 2013, a lack of financing, delays in permit approvals, and missed deadlines forced the project’s organizers to postpone opening until sometime in mid-2014.
This private event will effectively close to the public a significant portion of the waterfront area. Local public streets will be converted into raceways to allow for high-performance race cars that can reach speeds up to 200 miles per hour. The proposed track would run parallel to homes facing JFK Boulevard East and sweep past the development at Port Imperial Boulevard. On days when races are held, those residents in the area will suddenly find their backyards home to the revving of V8 engines and a smell of burnt rubber.
A permit application submitted to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in October 2012 describes the impact the project will have on the HRWW. A large part of the HRWW will have to be redesigned to accommodate viewing stands abutting the racetrack. Due to the racetrack’s width requirements, part of the walkway at the Ferry Terminal will be removed and paved over. In addition, the developer has proposed to construct two 40,000 sf pile-supported platforms adjacent to the existing walkway. The USACE application specifically notes that access to this portion of the HRWW will be suspended on race days, preventing public access to the waterfront area.
Southern portion of raceway at Weehawken’s waterfront; yellow-shaded areas represent bleacher seating. Image credit: NJ.com.
As demonstrated by Gov. Christie’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, the high-profile track is being billed as an “economic development project.” The racetrack’s organizers argue that their internationally-recognized event will attract some 100,000 people to the region while showering the local economy with more than $100 million. Its proponents suggest that small businesses across the region, from restaurants to hotels, will ultimately benefit from an influx of racing fans. Mayor Felix Roque of West New York has called the project “the New Monte Carlo on the Hudson.”
The prospect of a Grand Prix arena in New Jersey is not a unique occurrence. In Baltimore, MD, a Formula One racetrack was proposed as an economic stimulus project. Organizers of the Baltimore Grand Prix, first held in 2011, argued that the 1.25 mile track would be a major boon to the local economy. However, Dennis Coates, a professor of economics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, remains skeptical of the racetrack’s stimulus effect. Having read the economic impact study, Coates concluded that the project’s organizers overestimated anticipated tax revenues while downplaying the absence of an established market for a high-profile racing event.