Description & History

In 2006, pursuant to the NJ Local Redevelopment and Housing Law and per the direction of the Hoboken City Council, an investigation was prepared and a public hearing was held by the Planning Board, which recommended that the Western Edge study area qualified as an Area in Need of Redevelopment. Based on the findings of the report, adoption of the delineated Redevelopment Area boundaries was effectuated by the City Council in July 2007.

A draft redevelopment plan was prepared for the City in September 2008. The draft plan, however, was met with significant public resistance because it did not incorporate the residents’ concerns. Major criticisms of the plan included the excessive height of the buildings, inadequate amount and location of open space, and the lack of a cohesive plan for a community center. As a result, the draft plan was never adopted. A revised plan, prepared in September 2010, was presented to City Council, but also was not adopted due to concern with the types and square footage of uses proposed.

The planning and engineering firm Maser Consulting was selected to prepare the redevelopment plan in late May 2014 and the consultant started work on the project in June 2014. The City ensured that the plan address not only the types and square footage of uses proposed, but also flood resiliency and transportation issues. This Redevelopment Plan for the Western Edge was introduced in June 2015, amended in July 2015 based on recommendations of the Hoboken Planning Board, and was finally adopted on August 5, 2015.