City of Hoboken

Members of the community are invited to a public outreach meeting on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 regarding the Hudson River (Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge) Rebuild by Design flood resiliency plan. The meeting will take place at 7:00pm at the Hoboken Multi Service Center, located at 124 Grand Street.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, N.J. Department of Environmental Protection, Rebuild by Design, City of Hoboken, Township of Weehawken, and City of Jersey City will be in attendance to discuss the project and listen to community feedback.

The Rebuild by Design project would protect Hoboken, Weehawken, and northern Jersey City from flooding. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will receive the $230 million in funding from HUD and manage the project. Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions of representatives from the DEP.

“I invite members of our community to come out to the meeting on Tuesday so that State and Federal representatives can hear directly about why this project is so important,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “While the $230 million in federal funding will support implementing coastal surge protection, the City is moving forward in parallel on various projects to address other elements of the plan.”

“I’m looking forward to working together with everyone to get this project completed,” said Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner.

The City of Hoboken’s flood resiliency initiatives include:

• A contract to build Hoboken’s second flood pump to alleviate flooding in western Hoboken is expected to be issued within a few weeks.
• The City is finalizing plans for the Southwest Park which will include green infrastructure to reduce flooding, with construction expected to begin later this year.
• The City has issued an offer letter and is in negotiations with BASF to acquire a 6 acre property in Northwest Hoboken for a multi-purpose resiliency park, underground parking, and large-scale underground stormwater detention chamber.
• The City is in negotiations through the redevelopment process to acquire a one acre property at 7th Street and Jackson Street for park space with stormwater detention.
• A bid for construction of the City Hall sustainable stormwater demonstration project, which will include rain gardens and cisterns to hold rainwater, is expected to be issued in the spring.
• A community meeting for the First Street streetscape improvements project, which will include rain gardens, will be held on Thursday, January 22 at 7:00pm at the Multi Service Center. The meeting will also focus on a city-wide wayfinding system and branding for the City. The project is funded by an $880,000 post-Sandy grant.
• The City’s repaving projects scheduled for the spring, will include the installation of four new rain garden curb extensions.
• The City recently installed 64 street trees which help to retain stormwater runoff, with approximately 50 more scheduled for installation in the spring.
• The City is completing a post-Sandy disaster recovery plan which will include design guidelines for flood-proofing structures, stormwater management plan, and a hazard mitigation plan.