Hoboken's Velocity: Sale's Velocity Near Zero

Hoboken's Velocity development has had its share of problems, unless of course long periods of an idle construction site are planned. It seems sales must not be as good as the developers had hoped, since according to Curbed.com, the first 40 units will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. This sounds like a sweet deal, if you don't mind living next to low income projects. As Hoboken411 illustrates, the southern end of the two building development sits next to Hoboken's more affordable side.

[Via Curbed]

Bits & Briefs

Condo rises in new Jersey City neighborhood
A bit on the Liberty Harbor North Development.

Harwood Closes on Journal Square Parcel
One step closer to making Journal Square hospitable.

Jefforson Trust
Hoboken411 has pretty renderings of the proposed expansion of the Jefferson Trust building in Hoboken.

Bits & Briefs

Where the Money Goes
Derek Beres encounters occupying troops in the PATH station. Oh, wait, those guys are here to protect us. $2.4M more is not being spent on rail improvements, but instead on super troopers to protect us. [via JCBaby]

Maxwell Place
Hoboken411 has a bit on the Toll Brothers park going in as part of Hoboken's agreement allowing Maxwell place.

Hoboken plan goes back to plan board, judge rules
The Journal reports of a minor set back for a high density southwest side of Hoboken.

Dixon Mills Launches Sales Website

Dixon Mills, the restored pencil factory apartment complex renovated a decade ago was sold a few months ago with the intent of selling off the units as condominium units. The day has come with the launch of an official website, which of course means Floor Plan Porn. It seems that not every unit has yet been cleared of the former renters as the available units seem to be located randomly thoughout the complex. Either way, we're intrigued by their neighborhood map, in part because of all its retro styling, but mostly because it seems to be the first "neighborhood map" offered by a development to actually place everything in the right place.

Bits & Briefs

$106M vote of confidence for Downtown
The Journal reports that 30 and 2 Montgomery Street have sold for $106 Million dollars and will be replaced with a massive office, retail, and residential complex similar in scope to the Time Warner Center. (via Wired Forum)

30 Montgomery Street(right side of below photo), a 15 Story tower built in the early 1970s houses professional and city offices. 2 Montgomery Street (left) is across the street from the Exchange Place light rail station and a half block from the PATH.



Agency Might Replace Bridge and Tunnel Tollbooths With Cashless System
The Times reports that the Port Authority may switch their toll collection system to all EZPass. Such a move should reduce Holland Tunnel Congestion that blocks north-south traffic between Jersey City and Hoboken as well as allow an easier transition to congestion pricing.

Possible Groundbreaking At Monaco I, II

A crane and what looks to be pilings were evident today in the parking lot at the corner of Sixth Street and Washington Blvd, site of the future Monaco Towers. Renderings of the towers can be viewed at the wired forums. The two Monaco towers are to built north of the the existing Doubletree Hotel on the south side of Sixth Street. The Sanremo will be built to the south. In the below photo, the Monaco towers will be to the right of the existing hotel.



UPDATE

Ground breaking is pretty much confirmed with pilings being driven directly into the parking lot. More Photos on the Photoblog

Hamilton Park Renovation Might Finally Be Real

Hamilton Park's long overdue renovation may finally move forward after a vote on June 9th. The finalized plans are viewable online. Voting is to take place from 11AM to 5PM in Hamilton Park on June 9 during the park festival. Coincidentally, there is a park festival on June 9th that includes music and food.

Then and Now: Liberty Harbor

As Liberty Harbor North prepares to close on the first units of the project this summer, we thought it might be time to pause and reflect on the changes that have occurred in this city within a city over the last two years. After reaching way back into our archive, we came across the below photo from sometime in the summer of 2005 of Grand Street at the corner of Barrow:





Larger Image

Fast forward to May 13, 2007, and this is the same shot of Grand Street, now lined with new age brownstone buildings.

Bits & Briefs

PGA Tournament With a View of the New York City Skyline
The New York Times reports that The Barclays golf tournament is coming to Liberty National in 2009

Publishing photos of poop perpetrators
The Hudson Reporter notes that Hoboken wants to print the pictures of dog owners convicted of leaving dog shit on the ground.

Jersey City Celiac Disease Meetup Group
Someone dropped us a line about a gluten free group in the area, and since we love fan mail, we're given the group a shout out. So if you live a gluten free lifestyle by choice or necessity, you have some friends downtown.

Vikings Land In Jersey City

The Abora 3 project is attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a viking style reed ship to demonstrate the possibility that vikings could have showed up centuries before Columbus. One of the reed ships found itself on dry land this weekend in the marina next to Paulus Hook. So some fool is going to cross the Atlantic in this thing:





Next week, Leif Ericson Tower to be built on Leif Ericson Drive.

Hoboken Expanding Upward

Hoboken's gentrification and inundation with luxury housing complexes has been a long ongoing process that has left little vacant land in the mile square city. While the debate rages on with regards to how to develop some of the last remnants of empty land in the southwest and the NJTransit rail yards, it seems the inevitable upward expansion of Hoboken's skyline has begun. Hoboken411 is reporting a furtive plan to expand the Jefferson Trust building 8 stories higher with luxury apartments. Locals are concerned over sunlight issues.

And of course, speaking of those last empty lots out near the dead president streets, Hoboken411 has a bit on the Lexington coming to Adams and Lexington, and Hoboken Hero continues to chronicle 800 Madison and 900 Monroe. Go West young man, and then go up.

Community Garden Sabotaged By Activist

After seven years of planting flowers and vegetables in the downtown of Jersey City, the Brunswick Street Community Garden may be coming to a bitter end. In identical posts on JCList and Wired JC, community activist Janet Allen is accused of spitefully terminating the garden group's lease for the plot of land. The city, believing the group was no longer interested in maintaining the garden, began the process of accepting new bids for the property, according to the online post.

Allen has been active in Hamilton Park neighborhood group for a number of years, most recently squabbling with local officials and community members over renovation plans for Hamilton Park. Those much needed renovations have been delayed after a March meeting. She was also instrumental in the posting of signs banning ball playing.

Since the accusations were levied against Allen, the only response has been through yet another online message board. The unofficial response comes from Newport Waterfront Association / Newport Neighborhood Association leader Sonia Maldonado claims Allen "no longer wishes to continue doing any work with the New Brunswick Community Garden."

There is likely more here than meets the eye, and some suspect Allen is attempting to seize control of the property through another organization which she controls. In either case, we doubt this is the last we've heard of the community garden saga.

More Renderings of Bates Project

The Bates Project, a 12 story tower planned for a site just west of the Heritage Plaza in downtown Jersey City still has not broken ground. However, some crafty internet sleuthing has revealed several more images from the architectural firm responsible for the building. One Bates Street, as Emporis lists the building, will be infusing some serious redevelopment into an area dominated by the Pathmark shopping plaza. The Bates Project is will require razing of some older, low rise structures on the site.

BIts & Briefs

OKs shorter abatement
Grove Pointe's abbreviated abatement on the rental portion of the tower was approved.

Cinco Tacos, Hold de Mayo
Downtown Taqueria gets some love from the Hudson Current

Toll Brother's City Living
Hoiboken411 reports on Toll Brother's ratings of housing markets. The Jersey City / Hoboken Market gets high marks.

Dog Run Officially Opens, Trees Planted

Saturday brought the official opening of the Van Vorst Park Dog Run, and the hanging of a few plaques honoring the folks involved with the project. Dozens gathered in the park for the official opening, as well as participating in the annual planting.

Below, the official speech giving:



Water is once again flowing in the Van Vorst Park fountain.

5 Shops Will Create "Market" In Newport

With the south tower of Newport's Shore Club already finished and the North tower advancing rapidly, it is only a matter of time before the much hyped River Market opens. Residents hoping for a true shopping district though are likely to be disappointed.

Retail space has always been a part of the Newport development, most notably the Newport Mall. But shopping in a mall is not at all the same thing as browsing boutiques or sipping coffee at an outdoor cafe. Existing storefronts along the streets of Newport don't really offer much in the way of a shopping, providing residents with services like dry cleaning and ATMs. Many hoped the River market would change this, bringing a shopping district more akin to an actual downtown to the Newport neighborhood.

Residents may be dismayed to learn though that only five shops will be opening beneath the Shore Club, in addition to a grocery store and of course, another bank. Three 1200 square foot storefronts are available and two larger ones, according to this marketing brochure (PDF). Retail this may be, but a shopping district it is not.

From the Blogosphere

Tris McCall has moved to the lovely Harsimus Cove area and is back to posting. And as if to answer Tris's question as to where all the Jersey City bloggers are, we came across Jersey City Baby, a blog by and about a Jersey Cityean. The NEW Blog came across a little bit of an Architectural Love Fest thanks to Rem Koolhaus, still.

Meanwhile, north of the Holland Tunnel, Hoboken Hero has scaled the Palisades and taken some photos of Metro Stop. Hoboken411 cautions us that ShopRite's delivery trucks are out to destroy your car, and The Hoboken Blog wants Mayor Roberts to resign.