New York Construction Report staff writer
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy celebrated the groundbreaking of a major new development and public infrastructure improvement project near Hoboken’s historic train station Oct. 5.
Hoboken Connect, includes new office and retail space, affordable housing and improvements to public infrastructure and the surrounding streetscape. The project, which had been in development for 15 years, was jump-started with co-operation from partners including New Jersey Transit, LCOR Inc. and the city.
“Made possible by a combination of vision, tenacity and public-private synergy, the Hoboken Connect project will serve as a microcosm of all that my administration is determined to accomplish,” Murphy said. “In addition to incorporating environmentally sustainable design features, this long-awaited development will also produce millions of dollars in revenue for both Hoboken and NJ Transit.
“Just as crucially, this game-changing project will connect New Jerseyans to economic opportunity through affordable housing, public and active transportation options and thousands of good-paying jobs.”
The project’s private phase includes a mixed-use residential building with 389 apartments – 20 percent dedicated as affordable housing; a 20-story Class A office building with a rooftop terrace; 5,000 square feet of retail space; and related public open space investments, including additional pedestrian, vehicular, and bicycle improvements.
“Modernizing our transit infrastructure is a cornerstone of building sustainable communities that will pay dividends for generations to come,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “This project is an example of how the public and private sectors can come together to make our cities more walkable and transit oriented as we continue to limit our impact on climate change.”
Public funding will pay for construction of a new bus terminal on Hudson Place; significant rehabilitation of the first and second floors of the Ferry Terminal for publicly accessible commercial and exhibition space; the redevelopment of Warrington Plaza; and improvements to Hudson Place to support bicycle and pedestrian access to the transportation facilities. Gov. Murphy and the Legislature committed $176 million during the FY2023 budget agreement to this project through the Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund.
All improvements will be made utilizing historic preservation guidelines where applicable.
“This project has been 15 years in the making and I could not be more thrilled for it to come to fruition,” said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. “The city will reap the benefits of not only a rehabilitated transit hub, but much needed infrastructure upgrades, affordable housing, and retail space that will bring thousands of permanent jobs to the area.”
