Developer seeks to salvage railyard redevelopment plan that appeared to be on life-support

Over the past three administrations, various iterations of the Hoboken Railyard Redevelopment Plan have sparked controversy. In 2014, after much debate, the City of Hoboken approved a 2.3 million square foot commercial and residential development for 10 underutilized acres at NJ Transit’s Hoboken Terminal. At the October 2 City Council meeting, the debate began anew due to proposed amendments.

The latest changes were prompted by an 11 foot high floodwall south of Observer Highway that runs through much of the site. This flood mitigation structure is part of the $230 million federally funded Rebuild by Design project administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The floodwall is under contract and must be completed by 2022 or risk a loss of funding.

Although this plan has been in the works for the past 14 years and is worth tens of millions for the financially-strapped NJ Transit, this public agency has not managed to relocate some of its railroad tracks and repair facilities that could have permitted a more rational route for the floodwall.

LCOR, the developer, represented by Brian Barry emphatically stated that there is no possibility of building any of the project over the floodwall due to liability and maintenance issues thus eliminating nearly one million square feet of development. The floodwall is designed to protect Hoboken from another Superstorm Sandy type surge which was a rare storm event.

Building heights were perhaps the most controversial aspect of the 2014 plan. The amended Railyard Redevelopment Plan has increased the height of a Hudson Place commercial building from 200 feet to 300 feet, making it taller than the W Hotel, currently the tallest building in town. The height of the residential building at the foot of Washington Street, south of Observer Highway would increase from 24 to 28 stories. A third development parcel at the corner of Observer Highway and Marin Boulevard representing 350,000 gross square feet of office space is designated for phase 2.

The Hoboken City Council was scheduled to cast a final vote on the amended redevelopment plan on October 2. That night, once the ordinance came up, Council members began to ask questions. Members of the public followed asking why there has not been an opportunity to learn about the fundamental changes that had been made to the Railyard Redevelopment Plan the Council approved in 2014.

In response, the City scheduled a public meeting on October 15. A standing room only crowd voiced familiar complaints about traffic and parking and why yet more development is needed. Hoboken has always been a densely populated urban environment and because it is a highly desirable place to live, the demand for more residential development continues.