Area in need of Rehabilitation

[Editor]

Hackensack parking lot envisioned as housing, commercial development
Monday, October 28, 2013
BY  HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record

HACKENSACK — A 4.3-acre municipal parking lot across from Foschini Park could be transformed into a retail and residential center with hundreds of apartments under a city plan that was unveiled last week.

The proposed redevelopment of the area, known as Lot C, is part of the city's larger vision to improve its downtown and turn it into a regional destination for living, shopping and entertainment. The City Council named the parking lot site as an area in need of redevelopment in June — a designation for blighted areas that allows a municipality to plan improvements and offer tax incentives.

Two other properties — the former Record headquarters on River Street and 150-170 Main St., a string of buildings with commercial storefronts — also are being explored as possible areas in need of redevelopment, said Anthony Rottino, the city's director of economic development.

City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono said officials zeroed in on the Lot C site because of strong interest from developers attracted by its location near Main and River streets, beside the park, and near a bridge that crosses into Bogota. It also has appeal because of its size and because there are no on-site structures.

"A surface lot is not the best use of this particular property, especially not one located where this one is right near Main Street," he said. "It became obvious to us that it was potentially a good development site."

The triangular shaped site is located between Midtown Place, the Midtown Bridge Approach and the East Salem Street Extension, and is one block east of River Street.

Planning consultant Francis Reiner of DMR Architects laid out a vision for the site at a council meeting last Monday that includes 350 units in an eight-story building and a five-story building; 25,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on the first floor; and an outdoor public plaza or park.

That was a suggested use, Reiner said, but any plan would be up to a developer. Under current zoning, a developer could construct a residential or hotel building to a height of up to 14 stories.

Parking requirements call for one parking space per unit and at least 200 parking spaces for public use, but a shared parking agreement could affect the total number of spaces.

Lot C has 544 parking spots that are used by park visitors and customers at the Ice House and Bowler City, both of which lease space from the city.

Lo Iacono said the 200 public spaces would meet future needs for parking for those establishments. He said a parking study showed that the lot rarely held more than 125 to 150 cars.

The Lot C site is not part of the 39-block Main Street Rehabilitation Area that the city designated last year. The plan for the lot would complement the city's larger downtown goals to promote greater housing density and support existing business, Reiner said.

"The more units you have in proximity to Main Street, the more support you have for commercial establishments," he said.

The plans also have similar design standards, with a focus on high-quality building materials, ornamentation and molding, canopies and awnings, and public open spaces.

The site is a block north of the former headquarters of The Record on River Street. North Jersey Media Group, which publishes The Record, is in contract to sell the 19.7-acre property to developer Fred Daibes of Daibes Enterprises.

Daibes said he wants to build a high-end residential and retail community with more than 500 apartments and a hotel on the property. Rottino said The Record property and the 150-170 Main St. site — where a developer wants to build a 14-story luxury apartment building — also are being investigated as possible areas in need of redevelopment.

The "redevelopment" designation allows for greater tax relief. It also allows for eminent domain — the seizing of private property by a government entity for public purpose — but that won't be required here because the developer already is in contract to buy the nine on-site properties, Rottino said.

The City Council has to vote to refer the Lot C redevelopment plan to the Planning Board. The Planning Board then must review and approve any plan before the council can take a final vote, after which the council can issue a request for proposals.

Email: adely@northjersey.com

[Editor]

Hackensack pays $14,000 to settle public-records lawsuit
Tuesday October 29, 2013, 3:15 PM
BY  HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record

HACKENSACK – The city will pay $14,310 to settle a claim after a court decided that officials violated the state’s Open Public Records Act.

The court ruled in July in favor of 62-64 Main Street, LLC, its principals Michael Monaghan, Frank Callahan and Danny Callahan, and employee Joan Monaghan.

They had filed a request at the Hackensack city clerk’s office in April seeking invoices, purchase orders, legal notices and other records related to legal and consulting work in the downtown rehabilitation plan.

The city only supplied some of the records, claiming 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 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. “Not only was the request clear and unambiguous, defendant and defendant’s counsel were aware of the specific records being sought.”

The amount paid to settle the claim was $1,000 less than what Doyne had awarded, said city spokesman Thom Ammirato. 

Council members voted last week to authorize the city attorney to settle the claim. The City Council is also taking steps to revise and improve its policy on the Open Public Records Act.

Ammirato said the recent lawsuit was only part of the motivation. Council members, he said, had a tough time getting public records before they took office July 1. In their campaigns, they vowed to create a more citizen-friendly and open government.

“I don’t think it was one case that triggered this, but that the city was being less than forthcoming in providing information to the public under the old administration,” Ammirato said.

Email: adely@northjersey.com
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/hackensack/Hackensack_pays_14000_to_settle_public-records_lawsuit.html#sthash.4FjjfdcZ.dpuf

[Editor]

Hackensack appoints redevelopment attorney among others
Friday, November 8, 2013
BY  JENNIFER VAZQUEZ
NEWS EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle
   
HACKENSACK — The Mayor and Council passed a couple of resolutions at the Oct. 22 meeting appointed auditor/financial advisor, redevelopment and alternate tax appeal attorneys, and special counsel.

As per a resolution, DiMaria & DiMaria, LLP was named the city’s municipal auditor and financial advisor and will receive compensation that "will not exceed $100,000 without the express written authorization of the city."

According to Thom Ammirato, city council spokesman, DiMaria & DiMaria have already commenced an internal audit, however, "it is not a full-blown forensic audit."

Archer & Greiner, PC was designated as Hackensack’s redevelopment attorney — a first for the city. According to Ammirato, the attorney is needed to "streamline" the redevelopment process.

"Now that we are approaching development at a rapid scale and with the change of administration, it opened the door to new enthusiasm in redevelopment in our city," he said.

Ammirato continued that the redevelopment attorney would work alongside Anthony Rottino, the city’s redevelopment and development director, in going through interested redevelopment candidates and seeing whether their vision for a property coincides with what the city has in mind.

Though a planning board attorney will still be at hand when a project is presented to the board, the redevelopment attorney is needed as to not prejudice a particular case when brought before the board.

Compensation for the firm’s services will not exceed $50,000 without the city’s consent, according to the resolution.

In addition, a separate resolution passed during the meeting appointed Kaufman, Semeraro & Liebman, LLP as the city’s alternate tax appeal attorney — with compensation not exceeding $20,000 without city approval.

As special litigation counsel assigned to two cases, the governing body appointed Greico & DeFilippo LLC to take on the Milberg v. City of Hackensack case acting as attorney for Richard Sellitto. The firm is also appointed to the property damage claim brought on by the city against New Jersey Transit in which a NJ Transit bus damaged a city traffic signal during an accident, according to Ammirato. The repairs costs about $30,000 and the city is attempting to recoup the monies.

Compensation for the counsels assigned to the Milberg and NJ Transit cases will not exceed $40,000 and $10,000, respectively, unless city officials authorize an increase.

Ammirato said that all appointees have submitted their requests for qualification in July and have been working with the city since that month, in some cases. However, through these resolutions they are officially assigned to their respective positions.

Email: vazquez@northjersey.com

[Editor]

Downtown housing is key to new vision of Hackensack
Friday January 3, 2014, 12:04 AM
BY  HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record

When Hackensack officials overhauled zoning rules in 2012, they envisioned a modern downtown with high-rise apartments, first-floor stores, green plazas and fashionable facades that would be a cultural and economic hub of Bergen County.

That vision has begun to take root, officials said, with plans pending for several large residential and retail projects within — or just outside — the downtown zone dubbed an “area in need of rehabilitation.”

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/hackensack/Downtown_housing_is_key_to_new_vision_of_Hackensack.html?page=all#sthash.d5vM8wPj.dpuf

[just watching]

It's great to see so many developments in the planning phase or underway in downtown Hackensack.  They'll provide a steady stream of pedestrian traffic to Main Street, and the mere presence of these buildings will draw in more high-quality restaurants and retail stores. We have to make sure Daibes provides the right kind of riverfront atmosphere when redeveloping the Record, and some sort of pedestrian bridge over River Street to connect pedestrians to the heart of downtown. All of this improvement and construction will increase property values in the entire downtown area, not just for the properties redeveloped.  Lots of tax revenue means LOWER PROPERTY TAXES for the rest of the city. Also, of note, the new buildings will bring young couples into Hackensack as renters, and when it comes to buying a house, a lot will look to the northern and western parts of the city. This will stabilize the city demographically and also increase property values in Hackensack's suburban neighborhoods due to supply-and-demand issues. This prediction is presuming that the city will maintain the single-family zoning of its suburban areas. 

The type of stabilization that is happening now in Maplewood, South Orange and West Orange is going to happen in Hackensack.  Young folks like to rent in the Jersey City waterfront or Hoboken because they like the trendy atmosphere. But when it comes to buying a house, it's out to Maplewood, S. Orange, or W. Orange. Those towns are actually outcompeting Rutherford, which was previously their destination of choice, because these young folks want the demographic diversity and Rutherford doesn't have it.

Hackensack can actually offer the combination. Hackensack can offer the dense urban environment of the JC Waterfront and Hoboken in the downtown area, and WITHIN OUR OWN BORDERS we offer, the equivalent of Maplewood, S. Orange, and W. Orange. People who see that we have both will actually plan it out, and select Hackensack OVER the JC Waterfront or Hoboken. Wouldn't that be amazing !!

[Editor]

Hackensack eyes tax breaks on projects downtown
Tuesday January 7, 2014, 11:02 PM
BY  HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record

HACKENSACK — The City Council wants to lure developers downtown by offering five-year tax abatements for new projects and improvements.

The council considered a measure Tuesday night that would authorize the city to enter short-term tax relief agreements with developers and residents who build or make improvements in the 39-block Upper Main Street Rehabilitation Area.

The measure, if approved at a second and final vote, would create criteria and a formal process for negotiating agreements. But it would not guarantee abatements for any project, said Brian Nelson, redevelopment attorney for the city.

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/hackensack/Hackensack_eyes_tax_breaks_on_projects_downtown.html?page=all#sthash.JyyVF7Rc.dpuf

[Editor]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/239868311_North_Jersey_malls_could_be_in_trouble_if_developer_is_right_about_the_decline_of_traditional_shopping_centers.html?page=all

"Within 10 to 15 years the typical U.S. mall, unless completely reinvented, will be a historical anachronism, a 60-year-or-so aberration that no longer meets the public's needs, the retailers' needs or the community's needs," said Rick Caruso, founder of Caruso Affiliates, a development company that owns some of the most profitable shopping centers in the world, including The Grove in Los Angeles.

Caruso, an evangelist for open air, multiuse centers that mimic urban shopping streets such as Newberry Street in Boston or Maiden Lane in San Francisco, said retailers needed to seek out centers and shopping districts that create community and meeting places similar to marketplaces that have thrived for centuries.

[just watching]

There's no shortage of politically-inspired architects and planners making these kind of predictions.  We've seen the emergence of people wanting to live in urban downtowns, and shop their neighborhoods. We've seen the explosion of sidewalk cafe's and downtowns with pocket parks. This is all true.  But the focus is still on restaurants, quirky shops, and perhaps an artsy, tourist, transit, bars/clubs, or recreation-based atmosphere. Some place to hang out with friends or take a date. When it comes to REAL shopping, the Targets and Walmarts and other big-box stores still own the future, and people will still be driving to them in SUV's and automobiles. Let's not fool ourselves. The big independent highway-fronting stores are what is challenging the malls for the purchasing of consumer goods.  Hackensack just needs to focus on it's mission, create an atmosphere, and develop a theme for our downtown.  We can do it, just don't get delusions about a Macy's opening up on Main Street without a single parking space.

[Editor]

Tax breaks to attract developers in Hackensack
Friday, January 24, 2014
BY  JENNIFER VAZQUEZ
NEWS EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle
 
HACKENSACK — In an effort to attract potential developers, the City Council introduced an ordinance outlining five-year tax abatements for redevelopment projects in the city’s 39-blocks that encompass the Upper Main Street Rehabilitation Area.

The introduction took place at the Jan. 7 Mayor and Council meeting.

According to the city, "the ordinance is designed to further incentivize and expedite redevelopment under the city’s rehabilitation plan that was adopted last year."

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/241770851_Tax_breaks_to_attract_developers_in_Hackensack.html?page=all#sthash.Ur4rG6e6.dpuf

[Editor]

Hackensack Officials introduce ‘Lot C’ ordinance
Friday, January 24, 2014
BY  JENNIFER VAZQUEZ
NEWS EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle

HACKENSACK — The City Council introduced an ordinance to adopt the "Lot C" Redevelopment Plan — a plan that would transform the municipal lot by Bowler City into a mixed retail-residential building.

The City Council introduced an ordinance on Jan. 7 to adopt a redevelopment plan for Lot C — a municipal parking lot between Midtown Bridge Approach and Salem Street Extension. The plan would permit developers to construct residences over retail stores as well as provide parking to accommodate residents, patrons and Main Street visitors.

The ordinance was introduced during the Jan. 7 Council meeting.

"Lot C is another piece of property in the city that's exciting for several reasons," Mayor John Labrosse said. "No. 1 — the city owns it. We are making some money on parking but certainly not what we would be making if it was developed which we're sure it will be."

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/241770351_Hackensack_Officials_introduce__Lot_C__ordinance.html?page=all#sthash.lJqcAl1C.dpuf

[Editor]

Hackensack takes steps toward downtown redevelopment
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
BY  HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
The Record

HACKENSACK – The City Council approved three ordinances Tuesday night aimed at boosting downtown development.

The council adopted a redevelopment plan for a 4.3-acre municipal parking lot across from Foschini Park known as Lot C. The plan calls for turning the lot into a retail and residential center with design elements and open spaces or plazas.

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/242527381_Hackensack_takes_steps_toward_downtown_redevelopment_plans_get_boost_in_Hackensack.html?page=all#sthash.94OSSN0n.dpuf

[Editor]

Hackensack officials adopt ordinances in hopes of propelling redevelopment
Wednesday January 29, 2014, 2:36 PM
BY  JENNIFER VAZQUEZ
NEWS EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle
 
HACKENSACK - In a move to propel redevelopment into the city, the governing body unanimously approved two ordinances it hopes will do such.

One of the ordinances - which were both approved at the Jan. 28 Mayor and Council meeting - formally adopts the Lot C Redevelopment Plan, the other provides five-year tax abatements for developers and residents who build and meet certain criteria in the 39-block Upper Main Street Rehabilitation area.

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/242622171_Hackensack_officials_adopt_ordinances_in_hopes_of_propelling_redevelopment.html?page=all#sthash.GKxvHHqQ.dpuf

[Editor]

Is Redevelopment the ‘New Normal?’
January 28th, 2014 by Tim Evans

The End of Sprawl?
Did the 2008 recession really rewrite the development playbook?  Are demographics really destiny?  Commentators of many stripes have recently been declaring that the age of suburbanization is at an end, and that the future of land development is going to look a lot like the past, with people returning in droves to in-town living.  Now, some of their prognostications are actually starting to show up in data.  Our two-part series takes a look at some of the sorts of data patterns that one would expect to see if we really were standing at the threshold of a new era of redevelopment. Part I of a two-part series.

...

As a group, these municipalities grew by only 0.2 percent between 2000 and 2008, accounting for only 3.6 percent of total statewide population growth, but then turned around and accounted for 54.5 percent of the state’s total population growth from 2008 to 2012. (See Figures 1 and 2.)  The older cities and boroughs falling in this group of 271 include such places as Garfield, Hackensack, Belleville, Bloomfield, Montclair, Bayonne, Weehawken, Clifton, Passaic, Cranford, Linden, and Plainfield.  Many of these places had been stagnant or even losing population for decades before experiencing their revivals in the later part of the 2000s.

- See more at: http://www.njfuture.org/2014/01/28/redevelopment-new-normal/#sthash.Wx7mClDY.dpuf

[Editor]

Hackensack introduces ordinance to tackle Main Street redevelopment project
Friday, February 14, 2014
BY  JENNIFER VAZQUEZ
NEWS EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle
Print | E-mail
 
HACKENSACK – Further showcasing the goal for projects and developments to take place within city limits, the Mayor and Council introduced an ordinance to approve the 150-170 Main Street Redevelopment Plan.

City officials introduced an ordinance to approve the 150-170 Main Street Redevelopment Plan during the Jan. 28 Mayor and Council meeting. The plan, which is consistent with the 2012 Rehabilitation Plan, calls for the

The introduction took place at the Jan. 28 council meeting, with Francis Reiner, the city planner, presenting the plan during the work session that took place that same evening prior to the meeting.

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/245484101_Hackensack_introduces_ordinance_to_tackle_Main_Street_redevelopment_project.html?page=all#sthash.j16zt4vU.dpuf

[Editor]

Next hot spots: Bayonne, Hackensack, Rahway, filled with assets, are ones to watch
March 17. 2014 3:00AM
By Joshua Burd
NJBiz

Twenty years ago it was Montclair and Morristown that were on the verge of downtown revivals that would earn them notoriety across the region.

So as New Jersey continues its economic recovery, what are the next towns and cities to keep an eye on?

Bayonne is confident it can redevelop this area by the waterfront.
 
That's tough to predict, but experts in New Jersey's commercial real estate industry say there are some that have the assets in place — like the all-important train station — and the potential to be hotbeds of new activity.

It's just a matter of embracing development.

Bayonne

The waterfront city in Hudson County has opened its doors to developers in recent months, hoping to introduce them to a 55-acre piece of undeveloped land on the New York Harbor.

And there seems to be sizable interest. In early December, more than 75 individuals from the real estate industry attended a seminar to explore opportunities at the site, giving way to a formal solicitation for interest that was due late last month.

The results of that process are still to come, but one developer said the initiative is eye-catching, signaling an interest in helping the private sector tackle the challenges of redevelopment.

"Having a real defined process in place helps create certainty for any developer," said Brent Jenkins, vice president at New York-based LCOR Inc. "And certainty is key."

Jenkins, whose firm has done several projects in New Jersey, said the outreach shows the city gets the issues that come from so-called infill construction — meaning a project in a previously developed space or within a built-up area.

City officials have spent more than a decade planning redevelopment, spurred by the federal government's closure of the 400-acre Bayonne Military Ocean Terminal in 1999. But those plans have changed over time, affected in part by the economic downturn.

Still, developers are certainly taking notice for what the city now calls Harbor Station South. The original deadline for submitting proposals was Jan. 31, but it was extended to Feb. 28 because several developers were still finalizing their submissions.

One key reason is the good makeup of the redevelopment area. Jenkins noted the site abuts a Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station, giving it the appeal of a transit-oriented development.

The city said it plans to select a short list of developers, conduct interviews with some or all of those firms and make a conditional designation this spring.

Hackensack

It's been nearly two years since the city unveiled a sweeping rehabilitation plan for its downtown, one that overhauled its development process and laid out a vision for the 160-acre district surrounding Main Street.

It was a move that was long discussed without much action, but there are now signs of progress. In June, Capodagli Property Co. broke ground on a 222-unit residential property on State Street, in the first of what city officials hope is a string of new projects.

Experts say the Bergen County seat has the attributes needed for a renaissance — access to mass transit and highways and anchors such as Hackensack University Medical Center.

Jenkins said Hackensack and Bayonne are similar in that both cities "have highlighted a number of places in town where they're really looking to push development, where they really do have a vision."

LCOR does not have projects in either city but is exploring the possibilities, he said.

Aside from the Capodagli project, city officials have said there are other mixed-use projects in its pipeline. The City Council in late January moved to formally adopt a redevelopment plan for a 4.3-acre city-owned parking lot, allowing it solicit proposals from developers.

The governing body also approved the creation of a short-term tax abatement program for developers and residents who build or make improvements in the 39-block rehabilitation area, also known as Upper Main Street. The city's ordinance will allow the city to create criteria and a negotiating process for offering the five-year tax breaks, giving it a key tool for attracting top developers, though it did not guarantee abatements for anyone who builds in the area.

Hackensack's rehabilitation plan was a long time in the making, coming to fruition about three years ago when city officials joined local business leaders who sought to overhaul their outdated zoning procedures. That culminated in the June 2012 blueprint covering 389 properties across the 160-acre district.

Rahway

The city has been dedicated to redevelopment for more than 15 years, and it has nearly a dozen projects to show for it, from hotels and apartments buildings to an expanded Union County Performing Arts Center.

But real estate insiders say it hasn't reached its full potential as a transit hub, considering its central downtown train station that offers a 40-minute ride to Manhattan. City officials don't seem satisfied, either, with a reported seven multifamily projects in their development pipeline that they hope will draw young urban professionals and artists.

RELATED: Real Estate Report: Bill O'Dea, with just a pad and pen, can tell if projects make sense

Carol Stern, a commercial real estate attorney with McCarter & English, said the cities best-suited for redevelopment are those that can draw young commuters seeking a walkable living environment.

"If they can get to work by mass transit and live where there is the ability to do what you need to do without a car, that's definitely a plus," said Stern, a partner with the Newark-based firm.

For a city such as Rahway, the potential is there.

"Rahway certainly has that possibility because it's at the nexus of two train lines," she said, referring to the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines that service the station. That's not to mention a "reasonably walkable downtown" and its arts component.

One of the state's commercial real estate powerhouses seems to think so. In November, Mack-Cali Realty Corp. announced it was acquiring a two-building, 159-unit rental property in Rahway for $46.5 million.

www.NJBIZ.com
__________________________
Hackensack council takes new steps toward redeveloping city-owned parking lot
By Joshua Burd
March 19, 2014 at 2:17 PM
NJBiz

A parking lot in downtown Hackensack will be put up for auction later this year, with an eye toward mixed-use redevelopment as the city continues its push to revitalize its main business district.

Developers will be able to bid on the 4.3-acre site in about three months, according to a news release from city officials. On Tuesday, the city council adopted changes to a redevelopment plan for the underutilized lot, paving the way for a project anchored by rental apartments.

The so-called Lot C site is just off River Street and along Midtown Bridge Street, sitting at the western edge of Hackensack's 160-acre rehabilitation district. City officials in 2012 adopted a sweeping plan to revitalize its ailing downtown, following decades of decline around assets that are normally attractive to developers.

The Bergen County seat was featured in this week's NJBIZ Real Estate Report as a town that's now just starting to catch the interest of developers.

The city council first adopted the redevelopment plan for Lot C in late January, but planners tweaked the framework ahead of Tuesday's meeting, the news release said. The changes include restricting the number of small studio apartments to 25 percent, limiting the number of units over 1,200 square feet to 10 percent and setting the range for total units at 240 to 440.

The council also will require a developer to complete the project in no more than two phases, with parking included in the first phase.

In a prepared statement, Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino said the changes "give the city much better control over what gets built on Lot C, how the development will look and how the developer has to proceed."

Interested bidders can obtain detailed information about the property and the auction starting next month, the release said. Anyone wishing to be eligible to bid on Lot C must submit a conceptual redevelopment plan 15 days before the auction and make an escrowed deposit of $200,000 to the city.

Other projects already are in the works in Hackensack. In June, Capodagli Property Co. broke ground on a 222-unit residential property on State Street, in the first of what city officials hope is a string of nw development.