Ravi Bhalla’s attempt to ram through his construction union’s PAC plans for Hoboken are stalled, for now.

In an oddly timed announcement the night before a City Council meeting set to vote again on Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s Special Interest big union construction redevelopment plan, the mayor blinked.

Late last night, Ravi Bhalla put out an email announcing a retreat on the vote for the Railyards Redevelopment Plan he put up previously. As they say in politics, everyone claims to parent a winner but a loser is an orphan.

The Ravi Bhalla retreat came with a canard planted blaming the City Council for an “amendment” that is no amendment; it’s an enormous redevelopment plan totaling almost three million square feet full bore. Read More...

Official release:

  Dear friends and neighbors –    A few quick comments first on tonight’s City Council Agenda, then an update from last night’s meeting:   MONARCH   As disclosed last summer, the second benchmark date for the Monarch settlement is tomorrow with a resolution that conditionally designates Shipyard Associates as the developer of the DPW site and allows the city to enter into a cost sharing agreement with them.  Basically this is just a perfunctory step in any redevelopment project that provides that the developer pay for the City’s project related costs.  There is another one of these agreements on the agenda for another project as well at 931 Madison.  I expect this to be passed unanimously on consent.  The only reason it may get pulled for discussion would be for political purposes – to make it more visible that I will again refrain from voting on the resolution.     Why do I refrain from voting?  I have taken the position for my entire time on the City Council that because I, like over 400 of my neighbors, have a view impact if Monarch is built, the ethically right thing to do is refrain from voting.  I know there is a pathway for me to vote given the impact to me is shared with many others and because Monarch was a platform issue for me – meaning people voted for me specifically because I led the public advocacy.  But I believe strongly that any settlement or activities relating to Monarch will need to have unanimous support of the Council to pass.  And so far this has been the case – it is either a good deal for all stakeholders and everyone gets behind it – like the current settlement, or it isn’t – like the one from two years ago.  And please note that through my continuing advocacy to make sure Hoboken is never the underdog in any development related matters – by bringing better financial and real estate tools to all negotiations – this benefits all real estate related discussions including Monarch.   ESCOOTERS AND BIKE LANES   There are no votes on either of these on tonight’s agenda.  I know many members of the community have asked if legislation on each of these would be put forth prior to the upcoming election, so I wanted to let you know there will not be any votes on these tonight.   HOBOKEN RAIL YARDS   We came.  We saw.  We are carrying.     First and foremost, I am so proud of all my neighbors who came out last night and who emailed me with comments.  We had a full house at the Multi-Service Center including all nine council members.  And I know you are probably tired of me saying this by now, but I really believe that more voices are better.     The meeting itself I felt was very constructive overall.  City Council President Giattino informed the group upfront that the vote on the plan will not be tonight, but rather will be carried to a future meeting.  I think this actually allowed for a better discussion as it took the pressure off.  She had directed the administration on this last week but due to a glitch on the online agenda I didn’t see it until late yesterday.  You may have seen last night that the mayor, who did not attend the meeting, sent out a Nixle alert after the meeting asking the Council to table the vote to give time for more public input.     Our neighbors raised a number of questions about traffic and parking, the environmental impacts of the building, and future development.  Brian Barry of LCOR (the developer) presented their plan and gave important context to it.  A traffic engineer from Maser engineering gave some color on the traffic study they did (for LCOR) but limited her comments to say that traffic would be worse (shock).  Councilman DeFusco suggested that the Council not vote again until the public can see the traffic study.   LCOR’s presentation.  Brian Barry gave the same presentation he had given to me and other council members.  He stressed the level of activity between all the stakeholders (NJ Transit, Port Authority, NJDEP, Governor Murphy’s Office) to get to this point.  And walked the crowd through all the constraints on the site that led to the proposed amendment which I think many in the crowd appreciated including: he felt that the future development site was not buildable if the RBD resist structure is built (I still question this).  

He told the crowd that the reason for changing the use of the second building from commercial to residential is due to the footprint constraint – they need 30,000 square feet per floor for a commercial tenant, and they only have 16,000 square feet there because of RBD.

He also felt the residential use will probably be smaller footprint apartments and more transient type residents given its location between an active railyard and observer highway (he stressed it probably would not attract a lot of families).  

He indicated that the buildings that were presented are just massing and not the final design – meaning they do not plan to build just blocks as presented (that actually may mean they get taller, but skinnier/more architecturally interesting).  

In terms of timing, he indicated he will need two full years to deliver an actual redevelopment agreement, but getting approval for the plan provides the confidence to spend all the money etc. on the various necessary studies, reports, and technical plans.

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Official release:

    Dear friends and neighbors,  

I hope you can join me tonight for a critically important public meeting about a proposed amendment to the Hoboken Rail Yards Redevelopment plan.  It is taking place at the Multi-Service Center at 124 Grand St. at 7:00pm.  Despite this proposed development being something that affects all Hoboken residents, and will shape the future of our city, the administration has provided little information about this significant amendment they have proposed.   Read More...

Official release:

Dear friends and neighbors –  I hope you can join me tomorrow (Tuesday) night for the community meeting regarding the proposed Amendment to the Hoboken Rail Yards Redevelopment Plan – 7pm (~ til 830) at the Multi-Service Center, 124 Grand St.  And/or give me your feedback as this may be up for a City Council vote as earlier as this Wednesday. You can find excruciating detail in the email I sent last week.  But in summary, these are the proposed changes:

Overall 2.4M SF original 2014 plan:

• Broken into separate plans totaling the same square footage: 
• Buildable plan today with two buildings close to the PATH totaling 1.1M square feet
• Future development with 1.3M square feet to be developed in the future with no yet defined parameters.
Read More...

Official release:

Dear neighbors and friends,  TODAY, October 15th, there will be an IMPORTANT COMMUNITY MEETING to get your input on a revised HOBOKEN YARDS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. When:        October 15th, 7pm Where:       Multi-Service Center, 124 Grand Street What:         Presentation on Amended Hoboken Yards Redevelopment Plan This was a very controversial plan last time around but the City Council approved it 8-1 in December 2014.  The one that was approved in 2014 was for 2.3M SQUARE FEET, and it was always expected that this project would be in phases.  One of the primary reasons was to continuously review the traffic and transportation issues with each phase. The new proposed amendment suggests the project is now being reduced to 1.4M SF, but that is NOT ACCURATE.  What is being proposed in this amendment is two 300’+ buildings totaling 1M SF – one of the two buildings is commercial and the other is residential – and improvements to Warrington Plaza and a portion of the Terminal.  No additional buildings are planned, but the developer actually retains the option to build an additional 1.3M in the future subject to accommodating our Rebuild by Design anti-flooding project.  And quite frankly, I do not see that as a hurdle when it’s been done in NYC and other urban centers for years.  In my opinion, those buildings will be built with a favorable Administration. So really this amendment increases the square footage of development to 2.7M SQUARE FEET, with reduced community benefits.  I’m in favor of us considering greater density at the Terminal for commercial, BUT there are no traffic studies, no economic feasibility studies and no shadow study completed.  So why would we approve this amendment and move this forward without the common protocols we take with all other large scale redevelopment projects since I’ve been in office?  The Bhalla Administration has tried to jam this down, and Councilman Russo says we should because we have been sitting on this Plan for over 12 years, and it’s time to move forward.  What? Why does Russo and Bhalla want to move this forward?  I’ll tell you why, and I said so at the council meeting last week.  It’s about UNION money.  It’s about the UNION political contributions Mayor Bhalla expects to receive to support his council candidates.  It’s about the endorsements the Railyard Community Development Council Committee Member RUSSO has received.  When I brought up the money at the council meeting, councilmembers began to squirm.  Ms. Fisher mentioned the retaliation efforts by the Unions in voting “no” for this project.  When I made a motion to table this Plan, Fisher seconded the measure and we voted.  The vote tabled the matter in order to convene a community meeting scheduled for next week, which is tonight’s meeting.   What is interesting is that Russo voted no to table, and Jabbour abstained.  All others were in favor, and the community meeting is tonight (Tuesday).  What happened:  We know why Russo voted no.  Why?  But why did Emily Jabbour abstain?  In my 12 years, I’ve never seen a councilmember abstain on so many critical votes.  Did I give her an out when I suggested to Corporation Council that if union campaign contributions were made to Mayor Bhalla and his at-large candidates in 2017, should they be investigated to determine if a conflict exists? Come to the Community meeting tonight and see the council committee and the Bhalla Administration defend this project with really no basis to amend other than Rebuild by Design.  Remember, no shadow studies have been conducted, no feasibility study has been completed, and no traffic studies fielded. When:        October 15th, 7:30 (doors open at 7pm) Where:       Mile Square Theater, 1400 Clinton Street What:         5th Ward Council Candidate Debate Please pass around and let me know if you have any questions.  I’ll be there early, but then I will attend the 5th Ward debates at Miles Square Theater by 7:30.   Thanks, Peter

Official release:

Joyce Simons was appointed to the Hoboken Board of Education in 2018 to replace a board member who had stepped down. “I have always had an interest in public education and regularly attended board meetings for several years. Education directly impacts the quality of our community and I made a commitment to be involved.” Joyce and her husband, Don, have proudly called Hoboken home for 12 years. Their three children currently attend Wallace School. For her, the district schools are the obvious choice because, she says, “the education my children are receiving is top notch. And, importantly, they are very happy.” Her son is one year away from the Hoboken Middle School and her family looks forward to the innovative programs and challenges there. Joyce has been an active member of the Wallace PTO, where she chairs various committees to help organize fundraising events and arrange activities for the students. In addition to being a class parent for her children each year, Joyce and her husband Don have been strong supporters of the Hoboken Public Education Foundation since its inception. Outside of school, Joyce has been the 8-and-Under program coordinator as well as a head coach for a local ice hockey program, and has served as the “cookie mom-ster” for her daughters’ Girl Scout troop. Joyce graduated from Babson College with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Marketing, and has experience in corporate planning and human resources. “Relationship building and business management was an integral part of my work; if elected, these are skills I can contribute to the Board,” says Joyce. On November 5th please cast your 3 votes for school board, 3-4-5 and… LET’S CONTINUE THE PROGRESS! News Grist for the Mill: Special Columbus Day Mikie Squared Edition 10/14/201901/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading Hoboken’s ward elections are not far off in the November distance but there’s little doubt in the outcome of the third ward council race. Councilman Michael Russo sits poised for re-election and has begun a flurry of email releases going far beyond the confines of the third ward. The email releases are almost weekly as Russo joins the e-campaigning approach as others but this is different. The target isn’t clearly third ward residents as his emails travel across the Mile Square City. Topics Russo is asking for feedback range from e-Scooters, protected bike lanes and the biggest one: the Hoboken Rail Yards Redevelopment put up by Mayor Ravi Bhalla. Read More... News Jen Giattino: ‘Thanks and campaign help’ 10/14/201901/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading Official release: Dear friends and neighbors, Election Day is only 23 days away!  I am grateful and humbled by the outpouring of your support so far!  As we approach election day, this is when I need even more from you!  I am seeking Election Day volunteers.  If you have just a few hours that day, in particular in the morning or evening, please let me know.  Here are a couple of ways you can help me get to the finish line! Read More... News Hoboken fifth ward candidate targeted in dirty tricks attack to his employer 10/10/201901/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading =&0=&=&1=& Fifth ward council candidate Nick Maganuco, not of Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s choosing, sees employer contacted in underhanded bid to force him out of the race. Late July, at the infancy of the Hoboken council ward races, Nicola Maganuco made a bold Twitter announcement launching his official candidacy for the fifth ward council seat. The exclusive story was first reported here at Hobokenhorse.com on the morning of July 26th. Maganuco was immediately beset upon by online Ravi Bhalla political campaign operatives who mocked him. Later the same day, a dirty political trick quickly followed to his employer. Read More... News Ravi Bhalla-Stronger Foundations PAC candidate Cristin Cricco-Powell MIA in sixth ward debate 10/09/201901/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading It’s a Sign of the Times. Not a day after news of the Stronger Foundations big construction union PAC is revealed backing most of Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s council slate, a debate held yesterday shows an empty podium for his sixth ward candidate, Cristin Cricco-Powell. Hey, she had a nice place on the podium there though. Looking good! City Council President Jen Giattino smiles on the left with fellow sixth ward council candidate Frank Rosner at yesterday’s sixth ward debate. The middle podium was for Ravi Bhalla’s no-show Stronger Foundations big construction candidate: Cristin Cricco-Powell.  Talking Ed Note: Yesterday’s sixth ward debate hosted by the Hudson Media Group is available on their Facebook page.