Author Topic: Area in need of Rehabilitation  (Read 398412 times)

Offline irons35

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #60 on: May 06, 2013, 10:08:12 AM »
when did ground level retail enter the mix in the new building on State St?  everything to date that has been published has been parking ground floor and 5 stories of living space above.

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #61 on: May 06, 2013, 10:19:03 AM »
Not sure when exactly but I had been hearing that for a few months now.

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #62 on: May 06, 2013, 01:29:18 PM »
I got some clarification: The ground floor is mostly parking, but on the north side of the building where the official entrance is with the drive thru, there may be a small retail space that would serve the tenants such as a dry cleaner drop off and pick up.

Offline Whitey

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #63 on: May 06, 2013, 01:31:13 PM »
I found serveral references to mixed use.  See below.  Nothing specific.

 
Hackensack easing way for apartment building project
by Hannan Adely
NorthJersey.com
(HACKENSACK) - The City Council is taking steps to approve parking and financial agreements to make it easier for a North Jersey developer to build a 222-unit apartment building downtown.

The council introduced ordinances on Tuesday night to designate Meridia Metro Urban Renewal as the redeveloper of a portion of State Street and to allow a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement and parking lease for the project, to be called Meridia State. City officials say the incentives are needed to make it viable and to pave the way for the first development in a part of downtown that the council has marked for rehabilitation.

Meridia, a subsidiary of Capodagli Property Co. of Pequannock, plans to construct a six-story building including a ground-floor garage with 141 spots and five floors of one- and two-bedroom apartments. The project, between Warren and Bergen streets, will cost an estimated $19.2 million.

One ordinance would name Meridia as the redeveloper for 90 days, during which the company and city can negotiate a redevelopment agreement.

The council is also weighing a change to the city’s code to allow the leasing of municipal parking lots and garages, and to approve one such agreement with Meridia. Under the agreement, the developer would lease 120 non-assigned parking spaces in the Atlantic Street Parking Garage for its residents at a cost of $64,800 annually for the first five years, with increases in years to follow.

Another proposed ordinance would offer a 30-year tax abatement on the State Street property.

For the first six years, the developer would pay either $1,200 per unit for a total of $266,400, or 2 percent of the total project cost, whichever is greater.

The payment would increase incrementally over the remaining years of the agreement.
In Years 7 to 11, the developer would pay the greatest among those two options and a third option — 20 percent of the property taxes that otherwise would have to be paid. In subsequent years, the third option would grow to 40 percent, then 60 percent, then 80 percent in the final eight years.

If the City Council approves the tax abatement agreement, as expected, it will go to the state Department of Community Affairs for final authorization.

The city now gets less than $80,000 in taxes for the properties in the State Street redevelopment area, said City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono. All the properties have been bought by Meridia, which is preparing to build soon.

On its application, the developer estimates that construction could start in June if approvals are in place by then, and would run until January 2015.

Meridia would be the first project to break ground since the city adopted its Downtown Rehabilitation Plan in June. The plan eased zoning, parking and other restrictions in a 39-block area known as the Main Street corridor to make it easier for developers to build downtown.

Last month, the council designated part of State Street as an “area in need of redevelopment” to allow a mixed-use project with up to 230 residential units.

Council members said they were willing to offer incentives and to compromise on taxes in a bid to transform the run-down block.

“We want to spark redevelopment,” Mayor Michael Melfi said. “This person is willing to take a chance and develop in this area.”

Councilwoman Karen Sasso said she hoped it would build momentum for all of the city’s Main Street corridor.

“Once this gets built and completed,” she said, “I think more people will come in here over time and look to make an investment in the community.”
March 6, 2013 News, Press Release
« Last Edit: May 06, 2013, 04:13:41 PM by Editor »

Offline Editor

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #64 on: May 11, 2013, 02:31:03 PM »
City will appeal Hackensack redevelopment decision
Saturday, May 11, 2013
BY  HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record

HACKENSACK — Property owners who had unsuccessfully sued the city to stop a Main Street redevelopment plan that could have subjected them to eminent domain welcomed news that an appeals court had overturned the original decision.

The Appellate Division of state Superior Court decided May 3 that Hackensack didn't prove that the properties were blighted and tossed out the earlier ruling. The decision won't end the legal wrangling, though, because the City Council voted Tuesday to ask the state Supreme Court to hear an appeal.

Property owner Michael Monaghan said he wants the right to develop his property at 62-64 Main St.

"I've stood up and tried to protect my property for the last eight years," Monaghan said, saying the city has turned down two applications for banks on the land.

But city officials said the sites are run down and negatively affect the neighborhood — a high-profile part of the city near the Bergen County Courthouse.

In 2008, the Planning Board designated part of a two-block stretch of Main Street as an area in need of redevelopment — a blighted area that a municipality wants to improve and where properties can be taken by eminent domain.

Later that year, 62-64 Main Street LLC and 59-61 Moore St LLC sued the city, contending that officials didn't provide enough public notice because mail to a property owner was misdirected and never received.

A judge affirmed the city's designation of the redevelopment area last year. However, earlier this month, an Appellate Division judge found the Planning Board didn't prove blight, and overturned the decision.

"The city didn't meet the constitutional test of blight," said Peter Dickson, a Princeton-based lawyer representing the property owners. "The law says you have to find conditions of blight predominate in the area."

Eminent domain — the taking of private land by a governmental entity with or without the permission of the owner for public use — has been used in the building of public infrastructure. But its application for development purposes has been more controversial.

The standard of proof for blight was raised following a 2007 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling in an eminent domain case, Gallenthin v. Paulsboro.

City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono said the city wanted to take action on the properties because they are in "terrible condition."

"It's a disaster. We need to get it cleaned up," he said.

The Main Street property includes a vacant single-story building; the second floor was demolished after a partial roof collapse last year. The Moore Street property contains a vacant lot.

The city eventually withdrew its plans for a redevelopment area because it is a slow and litigious process, Lo Iacono said.

City Attorney Joseph Zisa said the city would continue with the lawsuit so it could retain the option of redevelopment if needed.

Meanwhile, the same property owners have sued over the city's less-intrusive plan designating the downtown as an area in need of rehabilitation — which doesn't rely on eminent domain, but allows the city to set standards and limitations on zoning and design elements such as building materials, facades and streetscape. It is being heard in Bergen County Superior Court, Dickson said.

Email: adely@northjersey.com

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #65 on: May 16, 2013, 09:04:38 AM »
Is Generation Y a ‘Game Changer’ for Housing?
Wall Street Journal
May 13, 2013
By Kris Hudson

Many housing observers agree that Generation Y—people from 18 to 34 years of age—largely prefers downtown living, often in rental apartments with easy access to walkable neighborhoods and public transportation.

The real question is whether they’ll outgrow those tastes once they earn higher salaries and have kids.

The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, the land-use association that long has championed dense development over sprawl, this week plans to release the results of a survey of generational housing preferences, highlighting those of Generation Y. The survey, to be released at ULI’s spring conference in San Diego on Wednesday, polled 1,202 U.S. adults from Jan. 16 to Feb. 3 of this year.

ULI heralds Generation Y, with nearly 80 million members, as a potential “game changer” in the U.S. real estate market (they are also known as “millennials”). Of survey respondents in that age range, 59% said they prefer their neighborhood to have a variety of housing types; 62% favor mixed-use developments with shops, restaurants and offices; and 52% like pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

In addition, 55% of Generation Y respondents said close proximity of their home to public transportation is important. The survey found that Generation Y is more likely than older generations to live in apartments and in downtowns, with 54% favoring renting and 39% favoring city living.

The thing is, while Generation Y is the most likely to move to new homes in the coming years, they’re also the most likely to go through significant life changes. Few have yet reached their maximum earning potential. And many haven’t had children, meaning they’re probably not yet focused on the quality of schools near their homes.

Patrick Phillips, ULI’s chief executive, said he suspects Generation Y is different than previous generations in that it won’t fully shift later in life to living in suburban, single-family homes. He noted that one early indicator of the longevity of Generation Y’s tastes will be apartment vacancies in the wake of the construction boom of recent years. Rising vacancies will hint that younger people are buying homes, perhaps in the suburbs. Minimal vacancy will indicate that they prefer to keep renting.

If Generation Y’s preference for compact, urban homes endures, it will result in more mixed-use development, Mr. Phillips said. “Over time, we’ll see a return to a more compact, metropolitan development pattern,” he said. “We’ll see less sprawl at the edges, the market preferring solutions that are closer in.”

Not everyone agrees with that theory. Robert Burchell, a professor of planning at Rutgers University, says that Generation Y, and even Generation X of 35 to 47-year-olds, have substantial personal debt on average and haven’t reaped the massive home-value gains that older generations did in previous booms. Thus, many younger adults likely are renting out of necessity rather than preference, he said.

“Generation X and Y cannot afford to buy the houses of the baby boomers,” Mr. Burchell said. “It’s not like this is a new generation steeped in money, ready to take on the world and has now declared ‘urban is our location.’”

Wendell Cox, a transportation consultant and demographer based in Belleville, Ill., says his analysis of census data shows that 76% of the growth in residents from 20 to 34 years of age from 2000 to 2010 came in low-density, often suburban counties.

A random selection of two Generation Y members by Developments found that neither exactly fit the results of the ULI survey. Ping Shi, a single, 23-year-old financial services consultant, recently bought a 2,500-square-foot house in south San Francisco with her parents for $750,000. She anticipates moving to the suburbs later in life.

“In my 20s, I definitely want to live downtown; I like the whole high-rise, in-the-city feel,” Ms. Shi said. “But, definitely when I have children, I want to live in a single-family home. It’s easier for parking, transportation and it’s safer to live in the suburbs away from the city. I definitely want a back yard.”

Caroline Tinsley, a 26-year-old communications specialist for an electric utility, rents a two-bedroom apartment in the Austin suburb of Bee Cave, Texas. She anticipates buying a single-family, detached home in her 30s. “I don’t want to be in the suburbs, but I don’t necessarily want to be right downtown,” she said. “I lived in the central urban area of Austin for four years, so I feel like I have that out of my system.”

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #66 on: June 06, 2013, 11:13:08 PM »
Hackensack celebrates first groundbreaking in downtown rehabilitation effort
Myles Ma/NJ.com By  Myles Ma/NJ.com
June 06, 2013 at 3:25 PM, updated June 06, 2013 at 3:59 PM

HACKENSACK — For a long time, talk of revitalizing downtown Hackensack has been conceptual, defined by architectural renderings and studies.

That changed Thursday, as officials made their first physical progress toward making those visions a reality, breaking ground on a $19.2 million, 222-unit residential property on a State Street block that had been left mostly empty in recent years.



"This demonstrates that this whole rehabilitation project is moving," Stephen Lo Iacono, Hackensack City Manager, said. "It's the first step. it's going to be the first of many."
 
The Meridia State complex is expected to be complete in about 18 months. At that point, it will include five stories of one and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a ground floor garage with 141 parking spots.

The developer, Meridia Metro Urban Renewal, a subsidiary of Capodagli Property Company, agreed to move forward with the project after the city council adopted a payment in lieu of taxes program for the project.

Under the PILOT agreement, Hackensack will receive $1,200 per unit for a total of about $266,400 a year, or 2 percent of the total cost of the project, depending on which is greater. The city currently collects $80,000 a year in taxes from the site.

Capodagli Property owner George Capodagli said the Meridia building would attract young, eager-to-spend millenials.

"I'm bringing the $20 martini people," the audacious, bleach-blond developer said in a thick Brooklyn accent. "The rich and the famous."

They're not macho. They're more mucho than macho.

But whether they stay depends on how safe and welcome they feel in Hackensack, Capodagli said.

"These kids are coming from dormitories and suburban homes to cities," he said. "They may act macho and look macho, but guess what? They're not macho. They're more mucho than macho. So you've got to make them feel safe."

Lo Iacono said Hackensack already was a safe city.

"Crime really is not a major problem here and we're going to be doing even better than we've been doing as this thing develops," he said.

City officials hope the Meridia project is only the first step in a larger effort to revive downtown Hackensack. The city has eased building requirements to speed Main Street development.

Capodagli credited city officials for moving the Meridia project so quickly through the approval process.

"These people jumped through every hoop that needed to be jumped through," he said.

Lo Iacono cited overly strict building regulations, particularly parking requirements, as among the chief reasons for Main Street's decline. And like many Bergen County downtowns, the rise of big box stores and shopping malls in the 1960s and 70s hurt Hackensack's Main Street.

But while there have been many plans over the years to rehabilitate downtown Hackensack, business owners and the city government haven't aligned as they have now, Councilman John Labrosse said.

"It never had the full effort of the city, the businesses and the elected officials," he said. "Now it's a joint venture, and that's what's made the difference."

With the Meridia project underway, Lo Iacono said there are four more developments in the pipeline for Main Street. He couldn't reveal any details, but said they are all mixed-use, with retail or office space on the ground floor and residential units above.

It's not clear whether Lo Iacono will be able to see those projects through. The last election brought a complete turnover to the city council, aside from LaBrosse, and the newcomers haven't indicated whether Lo Iacono will stay on.

"I have no idea," he said. "I wish I knew."

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #67 on: June 07, 2013, 10:07:36 AM »
Meridia Metro groundbreaking signals start of residential building boom in Hackensack
Thursday, June 6, 2013    Last updated: Friday June 7, 2013, 7:41 AM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record
 
HACKENSACK — The start of construction at the Meridia Metro apartment building marks a turning point for the city as it ushers in an ambitious plan to overhaul its downtown, local leaders said at a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday.

The 222-unit building is the first such project in the city since officials adopted the Downtown Rehabilitation Plan a year ago to make it easier for developers to invest in the area. And it is among a trio of such major residential projects, including one freshly announced Thursday evening.

“Today is the first shovel in the ground, the brick-and-mortar proof that, yes, this rehabilitation plan is for real,” said City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono. “Yes, it’s moving forward.”

Meridia Metro Hackensack will feature 86 one-bedroom and 136 two-bedroom apartments on five floors over parking on State Street.

Catering to the “millennial” generation, the building will have modern amenities including a gym, an Xbox gaming center, a rooftop terrace with firepit, and a dog park with grooming station, said developer George Capodagli.

“I’m bringing in the $20-martini people — the rich and famous,” said Capodagli, calling it the generation that loves to spend. He later said monthly rents would range from $1,600 to $2,000.

The project will cost about $30 million, and construction is expected to conclude in January 2015, said Capodagli, owner of Capodagli Property Co. of Pequannock and its subsidiary, Meridia Metro Urban Renewal.

Capodagli said the building was planned to feel like a community: “This millennial group — they want to feel like they belong,” he said.

It’s up to the city to keep them there for the long haul, he said.

“They’ve got to feel safe in your streets, and they’ve got to feel welcome,” he said. “They feel like an outcast and they’re taking the train and going elsewhere.”

In March, the City Council designated part of State Street as an “area in need of redevelopment” and approved financial and parking incentives for the apartment building.

Meridia Metro Urban Renewal was granted a 30-year tax abatement. Annually for the first six years, the developer will pay either $1,200 per unit for a total of $266,400, or 2 percent of the total project cost, whichever is greater. The payment will increase incrementally over the remaining years of the agreement.

The city also agreed to lease 120 parking spaces at a nearby municipal parking garage for residents’ use at a cost of $64,800 annually for the first five years, with increases in subsequent years. Shared parking is one of incentives the city included in its Downtown Rehabilitation Plan to lure developers to build in a 39-block area known as the Main Street corridor.

The plan loosens zoning and parking restrictions and establishes an easier building-approval process. It also calls for infrastructure improvements and two-way traffic on Main Street.

The downtown is now home to a diverse but haphazard collection of stores and restaurants in low-rise buildings, with few residences. Many people travel there for work, but depart by evening. City leaders, however, say the downtown is poised to be a destination in Bergen County for people to live, work, shop and dine. They note that it’s home to the county seat, a university and a major medical center, and it has ample highway and bus access.

“Nobody in North Jersey can beat Hackensack’s location,” said Jerome Lombardo, chairman of the Upper Main Alliance business organization.

Meridia isn’t the only notable new housing debuting in Hackensack.

On Friday, officials cut the ribbon on the new Avalon Hackensack at Riverside on Friday, located farther north next to The Shops at Riverside shopping center. The two mid-rise buildings at Avalon include 226 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom homes, with amenities including an outdoor pool, grilling and picnic areas, resident lounge and fitness center.

And on Thursday evening 6/6, the Upper Main Alliance held a business expo where board member Eric Anderson announced a new Main Street project. He said his realty company, Alexander Anderson Real Estate Group, had worked with developers and sellers in assembling properties with plans to put up a full-service luxury residential building of more than 250,000 square feet. Anderson said plans would be submitted to the city this summer.

He declined to preliminarily disclose the location, but added “This is going to revolutionize Main Street; it’s a big, big project.”

City officials say the Meridia building will lead the way for more such developers and businesses to set up shop downtown and will draw foot traffic to help existing Main Street businesses.

Developers and investors are already expressing high interest in the area, said Lo Iacono, adding that he gets calls from them nearly every day.

North Jersey investor Billy Procida said Hackensack has a lot of offer, but languished for years as other urban areas such as Jersey City prospered with good planning. Now, he’s ready for Hackensack’s turn.

“We’re all over it and we want to invest in it,” said Procida, president of Englewood-based Procida Funding and Advisers. “I think Hackensack is one of the greatest opportunities” for investing.

City officials and planners have worked on downtown rehabilitation planning for years and are just now seeing it come to fruition.

But four of the five council members are not returning to office, and the incoming council has suggested it’ll replace some City Hall staff and contract professionals.

Still, the elected council members say they’re committed to continuing support for redevelopment downtown.

“We’re glad to see that there is some progress finally being made on the redevelopment of Main Street, and we hope this project is successful,” said Councilman John Labrosse, who is returning to office.

Members of the new council say they’ll ensure the process is open and transparent by making documents available online; analyzing financial impact on city services and appointing a commission to review redevelopment efforts citywide.

“We want to make sure everyone — regardless of whether they own one or two properties and regardless of political affiliation — is treated fairly,” said Councilwoman-elect Kathleen Canestrino.

City leaders say new housing ratables also will help lower the tax burden on other property owners.
 
Email: adely@northjersey.com

Offline Editor

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #68 on: June 24, 2013, 11:48:37 PM »
High-profile developers eye apartments, hotel at Record site in Hackensack
Monday June 24, 2013, 10:55 PM
BY  HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record

The Record’s former headquarters, a 19.7-acre property on River Street in Hackensack, is being sold to a well-known local developer who said he wants to build a high-end residential and retail community with more than 500 apartments and a hotel.


The former home of The Record on River Street in Hackensack.
CARMINE GALASSO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Fred Daibes, owner and CEO of the Edgewater-based Daibes Enterprises, is buying the property that includes the former Record flagship office at 150 River St., the New Heritage Diner and the New Jersey Naval Museum in a deal announced Monday by North Jersey Media Group, publisher of The Record.

“We have reached an agreement to sell the property to Mr. [Fred] Daibes,” Stephen Borg, president of North Jersey Media Group, said.

Daibes, who said he is partnering with James Demetrakis of Arilex Realty in Edgewater, declined to disclose the sale price or the potential cost of the development, but said the deal was not contingent on city approvals.

“We think it’s a good project and a good area to be developing in,” he said. “We see Hackensack as the next Edgewater.”

Daibes has built many residential and commercial properties across Bergen County, but he made his biggest mark in Edgewater, where he put up luxury high-rise apartment buildings at former industrial sites. He helped transform the waterfront area, making it part of the so-called “Hudson River Gold Coast.”

Demetrakis also is a Bergen County developer and partner with Daibes on the mixed-use Cliffside Park Town Centre project now under construction. He also is an attorney for the developer of a $1 billion downtown project in Fort Lee that will include two 47-story residential towers, which will be the tallest structures in Bergen County.

At the River Street site, Daibes envisions upscale high-rise apartment buildings along the Hackensack River, and midpriced apartments above stores facing the street. He also wants to put a hotel on the property.

Daibes said he intends to keep the Naval Museum, which includes the USS Ling submarine on the river. The diner may be relocated within any new development.

The area is zoned B-3, which allows for a wide range of uses including retail stores, multifamily dwellings, offices, movie theaters, restaurants, and publishing centers, said Al Borelli, the city’s zoning officer.

Daibes said plans were preliminary and that he couldn’t provide a timetable. City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono said Daibes could take advantage of the city’s pre-application process, which it started last year to allow developers to meet with officials to resolve questions and get guidance on their plans before they’re submitted.

Councilman John Labrosse, who will be sworn in as mayor July 1 when a new coalition takes over city government, said he looked forward to hearing details of plans and hoped such development would draw more people into Hackensack.

“I’m very happy there’s a buyer for the site,” he said. “It’s probably our most valuable piece of property and has the most potential for the city.”

Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said he did not know of any existing environmental problems on the old Record property. It was not listed as having contamination in records kept by the agency’s site remediation program.

“We’ve conducted due diligence with our environmental experts and the DEP, and there are no environmental issues that will prevent redevelopment,” said Jennifer Borg, vice president/general counsel for North Jersey Media Group.

City officials say they have seen strong interest from developers and investors recently, especially since adoption of the new Downtown Rehabilitation Plan a year ago. The River Street property isn’t within the 39-acre area outlined in the plan, but it is just blocks from Main Street and from the Bergen County Courthouse.

Jose Cruz, the senior managing director of HFF, a commercial real estate firm, said the area could benefit from numerous projects – multifamily housing, retail, new medical offices near Hackensack University Medical Center or a hotel.

Hackensack’s demographics and the site’s proximity to New York City make it attractive, he said.

“When you look at that site, it’s very well located, has easy access to the highways, it’s dense,” Cruz said. “You’ve got some great things happening in Hackensack, this would be one more to make things flourish. They’ve got the right developer, now it’s just figuring out the right balance of multiple property types.”

While Daibes has had success in real estate across swaths of Bergen County, he also ran into problems with state and federal regulators.

The DEP fined Daibes $1.9 million in 2011 for completing several projects at Le Jardin, his cliff-side French restaurant in Edgewater, without a permit. He allegedly removed mature trees and shrubs from a coastal bluff and covered an acre of river bottom with fill.

Those issues have been “largely resolved,” Daibes’ spokesman Alan Marcus said Monday.

In January 2012, Mariner’s Bank of Edgewater, which Daibes founded and of which he is majority owner, entered into a wide-ranging order with federal and state regulators that called on the bank to shed bad loans, tighten management oversight, and restrict lending to delinquent borrowers and bank insiders. Daibes, who resigned as chairman of Mariner’s in 2011, said he was not involved in day-to-day operations.

The bank’s CEO said in May that he is hopeful regulators will be satisfied with Mariner’s progress and lift the consent orders after its next examination later this year.

Last month, a Record story raised questions about three unsecured loans the bank gave to powerful county Democrats several years ago.

“We will continue to cover stories that are important to our readers,” Stephen Borg said. “There always has been, continues to be, and always will be a separation between the business side and editorial.”

North Jersey Media Group announced its departure from River Street in 2008 and closed the site three years later. “It was outdated and not conducive to a modern working environment,” Borg said.

Staff Writer Jeff Green contributed to this report.

Email: adely@northjersey.com

Offline Homer Jones

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #69 on: June 25, 2013, 08:49:21 AM »
That's really great news. Since the developer will have tens of millions of dollars riding on this project, he will be bringing his "a team" in on the project. With a new Council taking over next week, it is imperative that they assemble their own "A team" of planners, engineers and other professionals to give the planning board all the necessary expertise to guide them through the process and bring this project to fruition.
A lot of interested parties will be watching this project closely, and if the City can conduct the review process professionally, other development opportunities will present themselves.

Offline just watching

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #70 on: June 25, 2013, 05:54:24 PM »
Yes, it's great news, and I see they are allowing the USS Ling and Naval Museum to stay put.  I hope they will be regrading the entire 20 acres and raising up at least 3 feet, preferably 5 feet.

It'll be a great asset to the downtown and (presumably) to the Hackensack Riverfront Walkway. And it will bring new higher-end housing into Hackensack.  500 units is a tad smaller than the two Excelsior buildings and they could probably build more units, but we'll take it.  A hotel in the downtown has been a dream and a goal for city planners since at least the 1970's.

And I've been agreeing with Homer lately, how about that ???

Offline Homer Jones

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #71 on: June 25, 2013, 06:23:53 PM »
Now, that is scary.

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #72 on: July 11, 2013, 11:45:48 AM »
Judge finds Hackensack violated open-records law in refusing to give property owners details on rehab plan
Wednesday, July 10, 2013    Last updated: Thursday July 11, 2013, 9:34 AM
BY  HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record

HACKENSACK — The city government violated the state’s Open Public Records Act when officials denied a landowners’ request for invoices and other records related to legal and consulting work on the downtown rehabilitation plan, a judge has ruled.

In the strongly worded decision, state Superior Court Judge Peter E. Doyne dismissed the city’s claim that the request was “vague and unclear.”

“The baseless denial of plaintiffs’ OPRA request compels a finding in their favor,” Doyne wrote in Tuesday’s decision. “Not only was the request clear and unambiguous, defendant and defendant’s counsel were aware of the specific records being sought.”

A May lawsuit in the matter had been filed by 62-64 Main Street, LLC, its principals Michael Monaghan, Frank Callahan and Danny Callahan, and co-worker Joan Monaghan who filed the OPRA request at the Hackensack City Clerk’s office in April. Their property had previously been threatened by a city redevelopment takeover and then included in a less-invasive city rehabilitation plan.

Through the request, they sought invoices and purchase orders submitted by law firms and consultants, and payments made to law firms and consultants, for work related to the designation of the Main Street Rehabilitation Area. They also sought a copy of legal notices for the agendas of a council meeting and a Planning Board meeting.

Some invoices were later provided, but many were not. Craig Pogosky, who represented the city, claimed the request wasn’t clear and that the plaintiffs were using OPRA as a “discovery tool” for other litigation — which the judge said cannot be a basis for denying an OPRA request.

In 2008, the city had designated a two-block area “in need of redevelopment” that included 62-64 Main Street. That property’s owners successfully fought the city’s designation which could have subject their property to eminent domain; in May a judge ruled the city hadn’t proved the area was blighted, as required for areas “in need of redevelopment.”

The property was included in the much larger Main Street Rehabilitation Area adopted in June 2012.

Doyne ordered the city to promptly comply with the OPRA request and to pay the plaintiffs’ attorney fees.

“It is incumbent upon a municipality to provide a fair and good-faith review of a request, and to attempt to comply with that request when calling for the production of acknowledged government records,” Doyne wrote. “Efforts to the contrary are not acceptable.”

The judge did not impose sanctions, but noted that any obstruction in the future may result in sanction. In an apparent reference to the city’s new administration, Doyne stated: “The City of Hackensack has since retained new counsel, and it is the expectation of this court that no further reoccurrence will occur on the part of either defendant or defendant’s new counsel.”

Pogosky didn’t return a call Wednesday afternoon about the ruling, and the city manager wasn’t available. Danny Callahan declined to comment.

Email: adely@northjersey.com

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #73 on: July 28, 2013, 01:15:47 AM »
Officials look into possibility of redeveloping Hackensack parking lot
Friday, July 26, 2013
BY  JENNIFER VAZQUEZ
NEWS EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle
   
Hackensack – The city is taking steps for a municipal parking lot to, potentially, be the central point of a redevelopment plan after developers expressed interest in the site, according to officials.


At the Committee of the Whole meeting on July 15, City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono updated the Mayor and Council on the interest Lot C — a municipal parking lot — has generated among developers. Though the area is currently not part of a current redevelopment plan, it was deemed an area in need of rehabilitation. Lot C is off of River Street between Bowler City and Foschini Park.
BERNADETTE MARCINIAK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

During the Hackensack Committee of the Whole meeting on July 15, City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono informed the Mayor and Council of the arising interest in the plot of land that constitutes municipal Lot C — situated between Bowler City and Foschini Park — off of River Street.

Though the lot was deemed in as a place in need of rehabilitation, it does not form part of the current Main Street Rehabilitation Plan since it is outside the designated zone.

In an interview with The Chronicle, Lo Iacono explained that developers have been interested in the area for some time.

"It seemed to occur that every time I had a meeting with a [potential] developer for Main Street, somehow the conversation evolved to the lot," he said. "It was very evident that there was a lot of interest."

Lo Iacono attributes the proximity to major routes and specific locations, including to the city's downtown and Bogota, as major drawing points for developers.

Lot size is another enticing attribute of the property since it is bigger than any in the downtown area, and would allow developers "a lot more room to work with," Lo Iacono said.

After Lo Iacono briefed the Mayor and Council on the lot, Mayor John Labrosse said that the city should look into the potential redevelopment of the area and gave the consent for a plan to be drafted.

"It is a great location to the city, especially the downtown," he said. "Let's take a look at [its potential]."

The next step for the city, is for Francis Reiner, the city's planner, to draw up a redevelopment plan outlining what type of development can be built in the area, according to Lo Iacono.

"We've been asked to provide a redevelopment plan to the Mayor and Council," Reiner explained, adding that there is no set timeframe as to when the plan will be drafted by.

Once the plan is done and approved, the interested parties will submit applications for potential developments. The Mayor and Council, in conjunction with the Planning Board, can ultimately decide which of the projects will best fit the needs of the city and that specific property, according to Lo Iacono.

Since the current use for that land is as a city parking lot, Lo Iacono assured that that the redevelopment plan "will call for a parking structure as well" since a ground-level parking lot is obsolete and does not meet the needs of a growing city in the midst of rehabilitation.

"I am almost certain that the [redevelopment] plan would include a parking deck and, also, satisfy the parking needs for Main Street," he said.

According to Lo Iacono, the city, currently, leases a set number of parking spaces to the Ice House and Bowler City, as well as to a couple of nearby businesses. Officials have to look into replacing the leases when, and if, development takes place.

Email: vazquez@northjersey.com

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Re: Area in need of Rehabilitation
« Reply #74 on: August 01, 2013, 09:47:18 AM »

CITY OF HACKENSACK ORDINANCE NO. 17-2013 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Ordinance No. 17-2013 of the City of Hackensack, County of Bergen and State of New Jersey, entitled: "AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 3 ENTITLED 'ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES' OF THE CITY OF HACKENSACK MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADD NEW ARTICLE VIII ENTITLED "DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT" was introduced and has passed its first reading at a meeting of the governing body of the City of Hackensack, in the County of Bergen, State of New Jersey, on July 22, 2013. It will be further considered for final passage after a public hearing thereon, at a meeting of the City Council to be held at City Hall, Council Chambers, 65 Central Avenue, on Tuesday, August 20, 2013at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter can be reached. Debra Heck, City Clerk CITY OF HACKENSACK ORDINANCE NO. 17-2013 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 3 ENTITLED "ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES" OF THE CITY OF HACKENSACK MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADD NEW ARTICLE VIII ENTITLED "DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT" WHEREAS, the N.J.S.A. 40:48-1 et seq., (hereinafter referred to as the "Statute") provides that the Governing Body of every municipality may create an office or position necessary for the efficient conduct of the affairs of the municipality by way of ordinance; and WHEREAS, the City of Hackensack ("Hackensack") is in need of economic development services to ensure economic opportunity to the Hackensack residents and to enhance the City's vibrancy and development; and WHEREAS, the Governing Body of Hackensack has determined that, for reasons of efficiency and economy, securing a Director of Economic Development in the best interests of the City; and. WHEREAS, the Director of Economic Development will report through the City Manager; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HACKENSACK, as follows: SECTION 1. The City of Hackensack Municipal Code, Chapter 3 entitled "Administrative Offices," is amended to add new Article VIII entitled "Director of Economic Development" as follows: � 3-26. Director of Economic Development Established There is hereby created and established the position of Director of Economic Development in the government of the City of Hackensack. The Director of Economic Development's appointment by the City Council shall be at the pleasure of the Council, and this Director shall receive such compensation as shall be provided annually by ordinance. � 3-27. Duties It shall be the duty of the Director of Economic Development of the City of Hackensack to: A. Research, study and evaluate the economic development of the City of Hackensack on an ongoing basis, with particular attention to the development and redevelopment of areas within the city which may be appropriate for such consideration. B. Make recommendations to the Mayor and Council for the development of such areas and the zoning of such areas for residential or commercial purposes. C. Prepare such advisory reports and perform such other duties as may from time to time be requested by the Mayor and Council concerning the feasibility of certain proposed projects. D. Make recommendations to the Planning Board or the Board of Adjustment that may be requested concerning applications for development presented therein. E. Design and implement campaigns to attract industrial, commercial and other economic development into the City. F. Undertake an inventory and the securing and promotion of sites whose development is to the economic benefit of the City. G. Assist prospective developers in securing financing for development projects. H. Arrange and coordinate city services necessary for specific economic development projects. I. Keep appropriate statistics and data to indicate trends in economic development and make evaluations and recommendations concerning the same. J. Review and make recommendations concerning economic development aspects of the Comprehensive Master Plan of the City. K. Coordinate the City's economic development efforts with those of other governmental bodies and agencies. L. Administer all federal, state, county and local aid programs pertaining to economic development in the City, except as otherwise provided by law. SECTION 2. All other Ordinances or parts of Ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency. SECTION 3. This ordinance shall take effect upon final passage and publication as provided by law. ATTEST: CITY OF HACKENSACK By: Name: John P. Labrosse, Jr. Title: Mayor By: Name: Debra Heck Title: City Clerk July 31, 2013-Fee:$142.70(151) 3536531

Source: The Record, Hackensack, NJ, 07601