Dear Neighbors,
Here is an update on the latest in the Mile Square City.
Sinatra Drive Redesign Funding
Hoboken has been awarded a $1.8 million federal grant to redesign Sinatra Drive. The funding, requested by Mayor Bhalla and his administration and secured by US Senators Bob Menendez, Cory Booker, and former Congressman Albio Sires as part of President Joe Biden’s federal infrastructure funding law, will fund the reconstruction of the 0.7-mile boulevard from Fourth Street to 11th Street. The improvements will include Vision Zero safety measures, a protected bike lane, additional tree plantings, and more.
On the Council, I proudly supported this important project and allocated funding through the City budget for a world class waterfront boulevard, regularly enjoyed by 5th Ward residents. The City plans to present the final street design in the first quarter of 2023, incorporating community feedback, and will begin construction later this year. For more information on the Sinatra Drive project, click here.
Madison Street Infrastructure Project
For too long, residents of the 5th Ward surrounding Madison Street and customers of Shop-Rite have suffered from chronic flooding, due to faulty infrastructure on our roads. When I campaigned for City Council, I promised that I would work hard to address the flooding situation in this area. Now, I’m very pleased to share with you that Hoboken and North Hudson Sewerage Authority (NHSA) have begun a long-awaited upgrade for Madison Street, between 9th and 11th Streets, to prevent flooding.
Phase I of the project is underway and involves relocating 275 linear feet of electrical duct bank along the west curb of Madison Street from 11th Street to 9th Street. Phase II, planned to begin this Summer, includes upgrading and expanding the combined sewer, replacing an outdated water main, and making roadway improvements for safety. These Madison Street infrastructure upgrades will be completed next year.
I’ve been working closely with the NHSA and the Administration on these upgrades and securing the necessary approvals from the City Council, which includes moving existing electrical and sewer infrastructure, as well as significant planning, engineering, and inter-agency coordination. While this work has taken longer to start than anticipated due to the complexity of the work, I thank Mayor Bhalla and the NHSA for their ongoing commitment to work with me on this necessary project that will leave a lasting positive impact on the neighborhood.
These improvements will reduce flooding by directing rainfall into an updated sewer system and complement the six-acre Northwest Resiliency Park which will be completed later this year. The Northwest Resiliency Park will be our City’s largest park, featuring underground flood detention and above-ground green infrastructure retaining up to two million gallons of stormwater as well as a new flood pump. These efforts by the Bhalla administration, the City Council, NHSA, and PSE&G will reduce flooding during heavy rains and directly improve the quality of life for the 5th Ward and all of Hoboken.
For regular construction updates, including construction-related parking restrictions and road closures related to these projects, click here.
A New DPW Garage Site
As part of the Monarch settlement which will keep our waterfront public — free from condominium towers over our piers — Mayor Bhalla and the City Council agreed with Ironstate to vacate the current location of the Department of Public Works Garage (DPW) site on Observer Street by November 2024 and allow Ironstate to develop that property. In addition, as a part of this agreement, the City acquired 1.43 acres of land at 800 Monroe — previously slated for a residential building with over 180 units — to become a public park that 5th Ward residents and all Hobokenites will enjoy.
After extensive negotiations with Academy, Mayor Bhalla and his Administration have identified a new home for the DPW facility. Three lots owned by Academy in Northwest Hoboken (the Academy Bus parking lot between 15th and 16th Streets between Madison and Jefferson) will be acquired by the City. You can see these three blocks Block 127, Lot 1.01, and Block 128, Lots 1 and 17 on the City’s Zoning map here.
Not only is this new location a more remote DPW location within the Northwest Redevelopment Plan than sites previously considered (the Poggi site and the Bijou Property site), but the project is “slimmed down” from prior proposals, as it currently will focus on the creation of the DPW garage on the site, considering other amenities if funding becomes available, to remain responsible to taxpayers.
I pledged to the residents of 1200 Grand, 1300 Grand, and 1100 Adams, with Mayor Bhalla, that the City’s DPW site would not be relocated — even temporarily — at 13th and Adams. With this plan now approved by the City Council, I am proud that we will deliver on that commitment.
You are Invited to an Engagement Session for 800 Monroe Resiliency Park
The City is kicking off the planning process for the new resiliency park at 800 Monroe with a public engagement session at Hoboken High School cafeteria on Thursday, January 26th at 6:30 PM.
The project team will gather feedback from the community through future surveys and meetings to incorporate into the final park design, which will include above and below-ground features to mitigate flooding caused by heavy rainfall.
This 1.43-acre property, as noted above, was acquired through the Monarch Settlement land swap with Ironstate Development. For more information on 800 Monroe Resiliency Park, click here.
Hoboken CAPS Forum
Residents are invited to attend the Hoboken Community Public Safety forum on Monday, January 30th at 4 pm, hosted by the City's Public Safety Department at Turning Point, 1420 Sinatra Drive.
The event will feature discussions on safety citywide with the Hoboken Police Department, Hoboken Fire Department, Hoboken’s Office of Emergency Management, and Hoboken’s Volunteer Ambulance Corps, with a focus on topics such as traffic, quality of life issues, and winter emergency preparedness.
Light refreshments will be served. For more information on the forum series, click here.
New Jersey Property Tax Relief Program Is Available
New Jersey Residents have time to apply for the Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR) property tax relief program from the state's Treasury Division of Taxation.
The program aims to provide tax relief to those who owned or rented their primary residence on October 1st, 2019. Homeowners with an income of $150,000 or less will receive $1,500, while those with incomes between $150,000 and $250,000 will receive $1,000. Renters with an income of $150,000 or less will receive $450.
Applications are open until February 28th. For more information or to submit your application, click here.
Monkeypox Update and Vaccine Clinic Locations
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
To see all Monkeypox vaccination locations throughout New Jersey 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 Vaccinations and Vaccination Records
To get current information on Hoboken’s COVID vaccination clinics click here.
If you are a Hoboken resident and would like a copy of your vaccination record, please contact LMedeiros@hobokennj.gov. Vaccination records are also accessible for all New Jersey residents through the Docket app.
Coffee with Cohen
On Tuesday, I hosted my 71st Coffee with Cohen community event at Anthony David’s, the terrific locally-owned and operated 5th Ward restaurant.
We had an informative, free-wheeling discussion about the future of our waterfront, Union Dry Dock, the North End, Rebuild by Design, and more over coffee and pastries. Thanks to my Special Guests, Ron Hine, the Executive Director of the Fund for a Better Waterfront, and leaders of the Board of the Fund for a Better Waterfront.
Staying Up To Date and Seeking My Assistance
I regularly issue this newsletter every other Friday. 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.
