Dear Neighbors,
It’s been a busy two weeks, and I would like to get you up to speed on some of the latest affecting the Mile Square City.
COVID-19 Updates
The rate of daily number positive tests in Hoboken continues to slow, but New Jersey’s positive case rates continue to stay at levels comparable to what we witnessed last spring. Given these ongoing concerns, New Jersey’s State of Emergency is still in effect.
As of May 13th, Hoboken’s recent positive test results include 0 on May 1st, 3 on May 2, 0 on May 3, 9 on May 4, 6 on May 5th, 11 on May 6, 11 on May 7, 0 on May 8th, 5 on May 9th, 1 on May 10th, 0 on May 11th, 5 on May 12th, and 1 on May 13, for a total of 4,990 cases confirmed to date. Two weeks ago there were 4,902 positive cases. Although the weather is warmer and more members of our community are being vaccinated, COVID-19 remains a real threat. Please remain vigilant. Wear your mask indoors, practice social distancing when necessary, wash your hands and be safe.
Last July we celebrated the landmark of having no COVID patients at Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC). We now have 5 COVID patients at HUMC with no Hoboken residents being treated.
If you have any reason to believe you have been exposed to COVID and have not been vaccinated, please quarantine and then schedule an appointment for a COVID test at least 5-7 days after potential exposure. Please remember that wearing a face mask, practicing social distancing, and avoiding indoor gatherings beyond household members is the key to keeping our community healthy and safe.
Sadly, in the past two weeks, two more COVID-19 related deaths were announced in our community bringing us to a total of 52 deaths since COVID began. I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to each Hoboken family that has endured this unimaginable pain. Please know that you have the full support of your neighbors and our entire Hoboken community. We send you our prayers and extend our wishes for your comfort, healing, and peace to you.
COVID Vaccination News
As of May 6th, 24,500 Hoboken residents have been provided with at least one Pfizer or Moderna vaccine dose, and 15,000 were fully vaccinated. To date, The Hoboken Health Department and Carepoint have administered over 7,340 first dose vaccinations, along with 3,547-second doses. In those statistics, Johnson & Johnson shots have been counted as second doses with more than 215 dosages having been dispensed by local pharmacies. Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been re-cleared for use by the CDC and FDA, so Hoboken Health Department, with Hoboken Family Pharmacy, has resumed the program of vaccinating homebound residents.
Got my second shot at HUMC!
Medicine Man Pharmacy and Compounding, Hoboken Family Pharmacy, and Better Life Pharmacy are continuing to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to Hoboken residents and employees of Hoboken businesses in collaboration with Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the Hoboken Health Department. Walk-ins are welcome at all clinics this week, with no appointment required.
Clinic times and locations:
Friday, May 14
Provider: Hoboken Family Pharmacy
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Vaccine offered: Johnson & Johnson (one-dose) or Moderna (two-doses)
Saturday, May 15
Provider: Medicine Man Pharmacy
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
Time: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Vaccine offered: Pfizer (two-doses) and Johnson & Johnson (one-dose)
Sunday, May 16
Provider: Medicine Man Pharmacy
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Vaccine offered: Pfizer (two-doses) and Johnson & Johnson (one-dose)
Appointments are required, and can be scheduled here.
Monday, May 17
Provider: Medicine Man Pharmacy
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
Time: 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Vaccine offered: Pfizer (two-doses) and Johnson & Johnson (one-dose)
Appointments are required, and can be scheduled here.
In addition to the clinics above, all three pharmacies are currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine at their Hoboken locations on a walk-in basis during regular business hours, while supplies last.
Also, in big vaccination news, starting Saturday the Pfizer injection is now available for kids aged 12-15. Appointments for 12-15 year olds are required and can be scheduled here. Children ages 12 to 16 must be accompanied by a guardian at the time of the vaccine and must select the Pfizer vaccine when scheduling the appointment.
To get the City’s latest information on vaccinations and clinics click here.
Eligible Hoboken residents can also seek vaccine appointments through Hudson County's Kearny site. You can check for appointment availability and register here.
CVS pharmacies Midtown and Uptown Hoboken locations are supplying the COVID-19 vaccine by appointment as well. To track CVS’s Hoboken vaccine supply click here.
To sign up with the City click here.
COVID Testing Updates
To get the City’s latest information on Hoboken’s test appointments and hours click here.
Free Testing for Hoboken Residents Only:
Riverside Medical (351 16th Street)
Dates: Mondays - Fridays
Time: 8 am – 3 pm
Location: 351 16th Street (Bijou Properties location)
Type of testing: Rapid 15 minute test (Abbott ID Now), and PCR
Who: Hoboken residents only
(appointments typically released online for the following week on Wednesdays)
Riverside Medical Group patients should call their Riverside primary care office to schedule a COVID test and should not use the online sign-up form. Patients without a vehicle should enter the test facility on Clinton between 15th and 16th Streets. Those driving should enter on 16th street between Clinton and Grand.
Free Testing for Hoboken Residents and Business Employees:
PromptMD (Jackson St. Gym, 605 Jackson St.)
Dates: Mondays and Thursdays
Time: 8 am - 3 pm
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Type of testing: PCR
Who: Hoboken residents and Hoboken business employees
Medicine Man (605 Jackson Street)
Date: Wednesdays
Time: 2 - 7 pm (Wednesdays)
Location: 605 Jackson Street (updated location)
Type of testing: PCR
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
In addition to Hoboken’s free, public COVID-19 facilities, you can visit City MD at 231 Washington Street or PromptMD at 309 1st Street, and walk in without an appointment to get your COVID-19 test. To be safe, you should call ahead to confirm test availability.
Citi Bike Share Launch
On Wednesday I was honored to attend Hoboken’s launch of our new bike share program - Citi Bike! It's been a long wait since October of 2020 when our Jersey Bike bike-share program ended and we had an unfortunate gap in Hoboken’s bike share services (which dates back to 2015), but I’m glad to say the wait is over!
With the launch of our new Citi Bike share program, Hoboken is now connected with Jersey City with a total of 820 bikes and 82 bike share stations available between our cities, including t 29 docking stations for Hoboken after they are fully installed. This expanded system will seamlessly join us to the Citi Bike regional network in NYC with riders now able to take a Citi Bike to the PATH in Hoboken and then continue their journey on a Citi Bike in Manhattan.
Recently Seen at 11th and Washington!Major props to Mayor Bhalla for his leadership negotiating a 5-year contract with Lyft (the owner of Citi Bike) and to Transportation Director Ryan Sharp, Greg Francese, and their team. A LOT of work goes into every step of building out a new relationship: negotiating the deal’s terms with Lyft and Jersey City; identifying appropriate locations for docking stations (a multi-phased process), and coordinating with Citi Bike on each step leading to this week’s successful rollout.
On the inaugural bike ride with Jersey City Mayor Fulop and Mayor Bhalla from Jersey City Hall to Pier A, I enjoyed riding an e-bike that allows you to travel long distances and arrive with “no sweat” because the bike assists you pedal. These e-bikes will be a real “game-changer” for folks considering biking for commuting, or just thinking exploring extended, healthy rides -- something we can all use. I encourage everyone to check out an e-bike and take it for a spin.
Monarch settlement
At our last Council meeting, the proposed redevelopment agreement to the Monarch Settlement was approved on first reading. It is now referred to the Planning Board for a Master Plan Consistency Review and likely will return to the Council for approval on second reading May 19.
In addition to the previously agreed-upon settlement terms, the proposed redevelopment agreement specifies additional terms:
- Ironstate will transfer to the City the “Monarch” waterfront piers (across from the Hudson Tea Building at 15th Street) and 1.45 acres at 800 Monroe Street. Both the piers and the property at 800 Monroe will be open, public community space;
Ironstate will not be build on our 15th Street Piers!
- 256 Observer Highway (the current municipal garage site) will be redeveloped to include 321 market-rate residential units and 40 affordable units, as well as 30,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, activating a new corner for our central business district.
- The current site of the municipal garage will be relocated to an area north of 15th Street as part of the North End Redevelopment Plan and not located, even for a single day, at the City’s lot at 13th & Jefferson;
- The City will have three years (not one year) from the time of closing to vacate the municipal garage on Observer Highway and move to a new garage site, extending the deadline to vacate the DPW garage to approximately September 2024;
- The City receives an additional $2.5 million from Ironstate, reflecting new appraised valuations reflecting the difference between the value of the transferred Ironstate properties to the City and the value of 256 Observer Highway;
- The City receives $1,000,000 from Ironstate, to be applied to improving and cleaning up the 15th Street piers, or other public purpose related to the agreements; and
- An $500,000 incentive fee will be paid to the City by Ironstate if the City vacates its municipal garage site by September 2022.
For the 5th Ward, it is very helpful that the City has negotiated from Ironstate the right to stay in the current municipal garage site for an additional two years -- until September 2024. This gives the City more flexibility to negotiate the best possible terms for the construction of a new DPW garage and to design the garage so it enhances our new North End neighborhood. In exchange for this additional time, the City agreed to let Ironstate add 30 additional units at 256 Observer Highway within the project’s already approved dimensions, in addition to 331 previously agreed upon residential units.
Rebuild by Design’s Groundbreaking!
As Chair of the City Council’s Rebuild by Design Committee, and a long-time member of the Community Advisory Group for Rebuild by Design, I was overwhelmed by what a special and historic day May 6 was for our City. Governor Phil Murphy, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Albio Sires, Acting Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) Shawn LaTourette, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, former Mayor Zimmer, Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro, Commissioner Anthony Romano and Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner and many officials from DEP joined us to break ground on our Rebuild by Design Hudson River Project.
Governor Murphy Presided at Our Rebuild by Design Groundbreaking
Rebuild by Design has been in the planning stages for years and when complete, this $230 million federally approved plan, funded through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, will protect almost all of Hoboken from storm surge flooding, stronger, wetter storms, and rising sea levels due to climate change.
Our award-winning Rebuild by Design was conceived of and championed by our former Mayor Dawn Zimmer and prioritized during the current Bhalla administration, is a national model for resilient infrastructure with its four integrated components -- resist delay, store, and discharge -- that will protect coastal cities like Hoboken, making them resilient for the long-term, while creating good jobs and protecting from damaging events like Superstorm Sandy which devastated our community in 2012.
HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge and Mayor Dawn Zimmer
The groundbreaking represents the start of construction on the first phase of the project, a $5.26 million investment in modifications to portions of Hoboken’s aging infrastructure by converting portions of the area’s combined sewer system into separate sanitary and stormwater lines. This is an essential first step in improving stormwater management and a critical aspect of municipal resilience and paving the way to install flood-risk reduction infrastructure.
Since 2014, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has worked closely with Hoboken to design a project that enhances the aesthetics of the community. The Resist structure design consists of an 8,846-foot series of flood protection measures, barriers, roller gates, and other measures to provide flood risk reduction within the project area.
This work will protect our vulnerable, critical infrastructure, including our hospital, our firehouses, the North Hudson Sewerage Authority’s treatment plan, and our Hoboken Housing Authority Campuses. Construction of the “Resist” structure is scheduled to start in early 2022 and will continue through 2025. To learn more about our Rebuild by Design Hudson River Project, click here.
930 Monroe St. Public Meeting Is Rescheduled to Monday Evening
The community meeting, originally scheduled for May 10th, was rescheduled to Monday, May 17th, 2021 at 6 pm regarding the proposed redevelopment of 930 Monroe Street, located in the Western Edge Redevelopment Plan area. Monroe Properties, LLC, the Conditionally Designated Redeveloper, will present its development proposal and answer questions from the public.
There will be no votes at this meeting, it’s just a presentation of the plan. The Council will consider a formal Redevelopment Agreement with Monroe Properties, LLC, and a proposed Amendment to the Western Edge Redevelopment Plan at a future meeting. The public is encouraged to attend via Zoom through this link.
SBA Small Business Grants
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently allocated $28.6 billion for a Restaurant Revitalization Fund to assist with COVID-19 relief, through the American Rescue Plan.
Eligible recipients include:
- Restaurants
- Food stands, food trucks, food carts
- Caterers
- Bars, saloons, lounges, taverns
- Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
- Bakeries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
- Brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
- Breweries and/or microbreweries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
- Wineries and distilleries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
- Inns (onsite sales of food and beverage to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
- Licensed facilities or premises of a beverage alcohol producer where the public may taste a sample or purchase products
Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023. For more information, funding allocation, and to apply, please visit sba.gov/restaurants.
Coffee with Cohen . . . the home edition
To practice social distancing, rather than eliminate my monthly Coffee with Cohen constituent events, I turned to the internet. On Monday, I hosted my most recent Coffee with Cohen Livestream event. This week I welcomed special guest Chris Adair, President of Bike Hoboken. We discussed the new bike-share program in town - Citibike!, protected bike lanes in Hoboken, and Bike Hoboken’s community bike rides. I also discussed the latest on COVID testing and vaccinations, my proposed ordinance prohibiting elected Hoboken officials from blocking constituents on official social media pages, and much, much more.
My favorite part of Coffee with Cohen is answering your questions. This week I updated you on a request to address a noisy commercial neighbor and addressing litter and old HPU signs on light posts in the neighborhood near ShopRite. I also shared the results of my poll on your reaction to Citibike coming to town. Over 400 people have viewed this event and you can check it out here.
Do you have questions you would like me to address at my next event? Please send them to HobokenPhil@gmail.com as I try to answer each one. The event is hosted on my Facebook page @Philcohenforcouncil and you can watch it here. My next Coffee with Cohen event is Monday, May 24th at noon and I hope to see you there.
You can also follow me on Twitter at @philiphcohen here or on Facebook here. As always, 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.
Stay safe everyone!
Phil Cohen
5th Ward Councilman
City of 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 my prior newsletters) on my website philcohen.org.
