Name    : 
E-Mail  : 
Subject : 

Comments:
: Hoboken lets hotel tower build higher 
: Council vote is 5-4 during overflow session 
: Saturday, April 24, 2004
: By Maria Zingaro Conte
: Journal staff writer 

: 
: HOBOKEN - Following a raucous public hearing, the City Council voted 5-4 to allow a new waterfront hotel to rise 100 feet taller than called for in the building's original plans. 

: The vote on the project prompted hundreds to turn out for Wednesday night's meeting to weigh in on the project. Both proponents and foes of the proposal packed the council chambers to capacity and spilled into the adjoining hallway as they waited for a chance to speak. 

:      
: The 25-story hotel will distinguish itself from surrounding structures, making it an icon of the Hoboken waterfront, supporters say. The improved design will also help to entice a world-class hotelier to operate there, they said. 

: But opponents say the building will be too tall and will ruin the look of Hoboken's waterfront, blocking the light and encroaching on the open space there. The project will also wind up costing the city money, they noted. 

: Although a hotel operator has not yet been officially named, developer David Barry of the Applied Companies said negotiations are continuing with the upscale W Hotel chain. 

: "We set out to create one of the finest hotels in the world on that site on the southern waterfront," he said. 

: The hotel plans were designed by Gwathmey-Seigel & Associates - the architectural firm that designed the Morgan Stanley headquarters in Times Square. It is planned for River Street between Second and Third streets, completing the redevelopment of the city's southern waterfront. 

: The wedge-shaped building will afford unimpeded waterfront views to about 80 percent of its 225 rooms and 50 residential suites. It will also contain a 5,000-square-foot banquet hall, meetings rooms, a spa and several restaurants. 

: The project received the support of Mayor David Roberts, and the council's vote fell along pro- and anti-Roberts lines. 

: The mayor's allies - Council President Ruben Ramos Jr., along with Councilmen Chris Campos, Michael Cricco, Richard Del Boccio and Nino Giacchi - all supported the project revisions, saying the new plan was aesthetically superior to the old. 

: Voting against the project were council members Theresa Castellano, Carol Marsh, Michael Russo and Tony Soares, who said the city would be hurt financially by the hotel deal. 

: Although Wednesday night's vote raised the permissible building height from 175 feet to 275 feet, the structure's total square footage will increase by only about 30,000, officials said, because the building will also be narrower than originally planned. 

: The taller, thinner structure would bring more light and better air circulation to the street level, they said. 

: Many in the crowd who were there to support the hotel plan waved red "W" cutouts and wore black baseball caps inscribed with the W Hotel logo. 

: The new building, they said, will help bring jobs to the city, revitalize the local economy and add a measure of prestige to the Mile Square City. 

: "I can't think of a better fit for Hoboken than a W hotel," said Craig Goldstein, a Willow Street resident. "I have friends from all over and I can't wait to have this hotel so I can put them up here." 

: Others cited the economic benefits the new hotel would bring to the city. 

: "I truly believe this will stimulate the economy for business owners in Hoboken without a doubt," said Hudson Street businessman Gilbert Flores. 

: But opponents of the project said the added height would not generate additional revenue for the city because of a tax abatement deal the developers struck with the city. 

: "The citizens of this town are getting ripped off," said Park Street resident Dan Tumpson, a former mayoral candidate. 

: "Have the developers pay their fair share." 

: Objectors also said the building would be too tall and accused the project's council supporters of re-reneging on the building plans - approved a year ago, also amid controversy - which brought the building to 17 stories, up from an original 14-story height. 

: "These guys seem to consider a signed contract as a first offer," Grand Street resident Michael Lenz said of the building's developers. 

: Ron Hine, the executive director of the Fund for a Better Waterfront, an organization that opposes the project, was shouted down when he charged that city leaders had given the developers a sweet deal in return for nearly $45,000 in campaign contributions given during the last election cycle. 

: "This is called pay to play," he shouted over the crowd. "There's not a level playing field. This is absolutely wrong. This shouldn't be happening." 

: Castellano expressed similar dismay over the project. She said she had told her First Ward constituents - people who will be directly affected by the new building rising in their neighborhood - not to even bother attending the meeting to fight the project because it was already a done deal. 

: "It doesn't fit into what the fabric of Hoboken looks like," she said. "I lament for our city. I lament for our waterfront." 

: Maria Zingaro Conte can be reached at mzconte@jjournal.com 


: 
: : Bernie Kenny -- How is Joe Barry ??? 

: : Bernie you work for Mr. Barry don't you ?? 

: : Doesn't your Law Firm represent The Applied Companies ? 

: : Don't you remember that when the Feds raided Barry's office in 2001 - YOU - SENATOR BERNARD KENNY CHECKED INTO THE HOSPITAL ? 

: : BTW -I see the Hoboken Council just voted to give The Applied Companies - President Michael Barry (Joe Barry's Son ) rights to 
: : build the $ 65 Million Hotel Tower.

: : I am sure the US Attorney finds this very interesting.

: : All eyes are watching !!  

: : Time to have another drink.


Optional Link URL:  
Link Title:         
Optional Image URL: 

 

Hoboken Guide

Featured Link Featured Listing Advertising Program Business name, Web Site Link and a brief description or motto – runs for one month in the Page (or Pages) of your choice. Sales Associates Wanted! GET NJ seeks sales associates to market ads on a commission basis. For more information, e-mail your resume and contact information to sales@getnj.com – Be sure to mention the area of New Jersey and/or the market segment that you plan to serve. GRAVE ROBBER Jersey City Computer Repair 297 Griffith Street, Jersey City, NJ - 201-798-2292 - In the Heights just off of Kennedy Blvd. - Very close to Journal Square and Union City, just five minutes away from Hoboken, Downtown Jersey City, Newport, the Waterfront, Secaucus, North Bergen and Weehawken - Tech support for The Jersey City Mayor's Office during the administration of Bret Schundler - PC repair - Tivos, too!, upgrade, hardware install, software install, data recovery, spyware removal, virus removal, replace hard drive, replace motherboard, copy files from notebooks, backup information from dead laptops Wanted! Used Computers! Used computers bought and sold. Located in Jersey City, NJ - convenient to the Hoboken 2nd Street Light Rail stations and the Journal Square PATH subway station. E-mail graverobber@verizon.net with an itemized list (description) of what you have for sale and the price. Pickup in the New York City Metro area -- minimum 10 units. Secure, guaranteed data removal is available.

For All Sorts of Unique New York City Information, Visit GET NY!