Dear Neighbors,
Wishing you and your families a Happy Diwali 🪔 and a Happy Halloween. 🎃 Here’s the latest.
Union Dry Dock Update
Last week the City Council unanimously voted for the City to proceed with exercising eminent domain to finally acquire the Union Dry Dock site. This long-awaited action comes after the Bhalla Administration agreed to purchase the Union Dry Dock property from NY Waterway in 2021.
The State and New York Waterway have been working together to explore opportunities to expand NYWW’s ferry operations at alternate locations and finalize a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the City's acquisition of the Union Dry Dock property. But those negotiations have not proceeded at the pace we expected.
I strongly support Mayor Bhalla and his administration’s effort to finalize this long-delayed acquisition. Now the City is authorized to begin the process of exercising eminent domain for this property and offer New York Waterway $13.36 million (the fair market value reflecting the land’s appraisal) so we can finally start a community-driven process of planning, designing, and constructing our uninterrupted, public waterfront park. Stay tuned.
New Life for the Jubilee Center
Last year, Hoboken purchased the Jubilee Center with the goal of continuing to provide public services from that location to benefit our community — a location that was making a difference in the lives of our neighborhood children. Hoboken’s acquisition of the Jubilee Center location prevented this unique site from being yet another property owned and operated by a for-profit developer.
I proudly supported the City’s successful effort to acquire the Jubilee Center site and am pleased to see the blossoming partnership between the City and the Hoboken Public School District to serve our youth by hosting up to 60 children a day in the district’s Pre-K program.
Thanks to Superintendent Dr. Christine Johnson, the Board of Education, BOE President Sharyn Angley, and the Hoboken Public School administrators for making the 601 Jackson Street facility work for our community.
11th Street Construction This Week
As part of its Sewer Cleaning Project, including the recent installation of a new manhole on 11th Street between Bloomfield and Garden, North Hudson Sewerage Authority continues its construction on the sewer line beneath 11th Street between Washington and Hudson.
This week, construction is scheduled to occur between 8 am and 6 pm. 11th Street will be closed to vehicular traffic between Washington and Hudson from October 24, through October 28, including overnight. Drivers are advised to use alternate streets.
During working hours, Hoboken Police will be on-site to manage traffic impacts. Parking is prohibited in the area during construction. For more information and updates click here.
Garage B Mural Updates
Parking Garage B, located on Hudson Street south of Second Street, soon will have a beautifully painted mural on its western façade funded by the City of Hoboken Art Committee Advisory Board and the Hoboken Business Alliance.
Michelle Hoogveld, a contemporary visual artist with a vibrant style inspired by color theory, connection, and matters of the heart, will paint the mural. In her paintings, Hoogveld weaves together bold patterns and textile-like layers of color to make an intricate tapestry of who we are as people, the places we encounter, and the one thing that unites us all - love. Internationally acclaimed, her colorful works brighten both private and public spaces.
As the City Council’s Trustee on the Hoboken Business Alliance, I proudly supported this effort alongside the City’s Art Committee Advisory Board. The City Council and the Hoboken Business Alliance unanimously supported this effort to realize a transformation of a charmless garage into an exciting work of public art. The mural is expected to be completed by Sunday, October 30. So keep a lookout for big changes on Hudson Street!
Mural Plan for Garage B
As a precaution, to avoid damage, Garage B vehicles parked in the garage on the Hudson Street side need to move approximately two feet away from the interior wall during the painting process. There will be restrictions on parking on the east side of Hudson Street and temporary pedestrian access will be provided. During the mural's construction, the Hudson Street dog run will be closed from 9 am to 6 pm on weekends and 8 am to 6 pm on weekdays. During this time, residents are advised to use other dog runs.
Voting in the November Election and the Hoboken School Board
Election day is November 8th. Residents can vote at their registered polling places between 6 am and 8 pm on Election Day. Early voting at Hoboken City Hall starts Saturday, October 29th through Sunday, November 6th. Early voting hours will be Friday - Saturday 10 am – 8 pm, and Sunday 10 am – 6 pm.
You can vote by mail. The deadline to apply to receive your mail-in ballot is November 1st. If you have a VBM ballot, you must return your mail-in ballot by placing it in a U.S. Postal Service mailbox, by using a dedicated drop box, or in person at your county Board of Elections on or before Tuesday, November 8th prior to 8 pm. Drop box locations can be found here. Polling locations can be found here. For more information on poll locations and how to vote, go here.
I encourage you to vote I-2, I-3, and I-4, for the entire Leadership That Listens team. You can read my complete endorsement and learn more about Leslie, Antonio, and Alex here.
With Leslie, Antonio, and Alex
Nobody does Halloween 🎃 like Hoboken.
Hallow-Weekend is coming! Incredible decorations are popping up all over town.
The Ragamuffin Parade returns Sunday, October 31, rain or shine. Participants should meet at 3:15 pm on Washington Street between 13th Street and 14th Street for the parade. The Ragamuffin Parade begins at 4 pm and features special guests Funny Factory Clown Band, Ron Albanese AKA Polka Dot, Elvis “The King,” and the Rockin’ Redwings Marching Band. After the parade, Hoboken will host the annual costume contest at the Little League Field with prizes for the best family costume and four age groups: 2 years old and younger; 3 to 5 years old; 6 to 8 years old; and 9 to 12 years old. For more information on the Ragamuffin parade and costume contest click here.
Sign-up for the HoBOOken 5K Run!
The Hoboken Shelter hosts its annual Halloween 5K fun run on October 29th in person or virtually! The Shelter is also hosting a 1-mile "Scary Scurry" kids run, with prizes for fast racers and for best costumes. Registration is open until 11:59 pm on October 28th.
The Hoboken Shelter provides over 500 meals a day, 1,000 showers per week, and shelters 50 people a night, so every runner helps. The Shelter seeks volunteers for this great event. For more information or to register click here.
Office of Constituent Services — October Extended Office Hours
Hoboken's Office of Constituent Services and Deputy Director of Transportation & Parking Diana Aviles will be hosting extended office hours at the Hoboken Historical Museum on Tuesday, October 25th, from 4 to 6 pm.
Attendees will be able to meet Director Aviles and discuss topics related to parking and transportation, including Vision Zero, pedestrian safety, public transportation, and more. Please contact Constituent Services Coordinator Nora Martínez DeBenedetto via email at ndebenedetto@hobokennj.gov or call (201) 420-2000 Ext. 1311 on weekdays between 9 am and 4 pm to schedule your required 10-minute appointment.
Monkeypox Update and Vaccine Clinic Locations
New Jersey has a total of 736 cases of monkeypox as of October 20th with 181 cases located in Hudson County.
The State is providing monkeypox vaccinations for eligible individuals. Eligible individuals include those who have had known contact with someone who tested positive for orthopoxvirus or monkeypox in the past 14 days, people who attended an event where known monkeypox exposure occurred within the past 14 days, and men who have sex with men.
Monkeypox Vaccine Locations
Hoboken will be hosting a Monkeypox vaccine clinic on November 10 at the Jackson St. Gym located at 605 Jackson Street, between 4 and 6:45 pm. You can sign up for a free vaccine appointment at vaxhudson.org.
Outside of Hoboken, regional Monkeypox vaccine locations include:
North Hudson Community Action Corporation
Location: 4800 Kennedy Blvd, Union City, NJ 07087
Hyacinth AIDS Foundation/Project Living Out Loud!
Location: Jersey City
Phone: 201-706-3480
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center
Phone: 800-730-2762
The Prevention Resource Network, a program of the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey
Location: Asbury Park
To see all locations throughout New Jersey please click here. If you believe you’ve been infected with Monkeypox, please contact the Hoboken Health Department at (201) 420-2375 for additional guidance, information, and contact tracing. Also, you can visit the CDC’s Monkeypox page here for additional information.
COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Updates
To get the current Hoboken COVID testing and hours click here.
At-home testing
The NJ Department of Health and Vault Medical Services offers free, at-home COVID-19 saliva test kits. To order your kit go to learn.vaulthealth.com/nj.
COVID Vaccination News
To get current information on Hoboken vaccinations click here.
The following are Free Vaccine Clinics:
Medicine Man Pharmacy & Compounding
Date: Tomorrow, October 25th
Time: 4 – 7 pm
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Type of Vaccine: Updated Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 boosters
Who: Anyone who works, lives, or goes to school in Hoboken
Ages: 5+ (Pfizer), 6+ (Moderna)
Hudson Regional Health Commission
Date: November 1st
Time: 10 am – 12:45 pm
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Type of Vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, updated Pfizer and Moderna boosters, the seasonal flu vaccine
Ages: All eligible age groups 6 months old and older (Updated Moderna boosters are only available for those 6+), flu vaccines (18 +)
Link for appointments: https://www.hobokennj.gov/vaccine
Coffee with Cohen … the home edition
Last Tuesday, I hosted my 65th Coffee with Cohen community event at the terrific 5th Ward business, bwè kafe at 10th and Washington.
Thanks to the many friends and neighbors who came out and heard thoughtful presentations from leaders of the Hoboken Public Library who shared what’s happening at the Library with lively discussions and questions over coffee and pastries. Thanks to bwè kafe for hosting this event and to special guests Hoboken Public Library Executive Director Jennie Pu and Board of Trustees President Jerome Abernathy for joining us.
Do you have a question for the next Coffee with Cohen? Send it to HobokenPhil@gmail.com as I try to address each one. This event — and many past Coffee with Cohen events — are recorded and hosted on my Facebook page which you can watch here. My next event is at noon on Tuesday, November 1st and you can RSVP for this virtual event here.
Staying Up To Date and Reaching Out For Assistance
I regularly issue this newsletter every two weeks. You can stay up to date by following me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. If you have any questions or concerns, or if I can be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me at HobokenPhil@gmail.com.
Phil Cohen
Hoboken City Councilman
Hoboken, New Jersey
HobokenPhil@gmail.com
(862) 234-9053
P.S. You can learn more about me and my ideas for Hoboken (as well as read this newsletter and prior newsletters) on my website philcohen.org.
