A drawn-out battle over a 1.43-acre Hoboken lot looks like it will end with more green space for the community despite some conflicting messages over how the city will pay for the endeavor.
Officials in Hoboken have announced they are seeking a qualified consultant to engage in the public process of designing what will be another resiliency park at 800 Monroe Street. The parcel was acquired in a settlement agreement with Ironstate Development earlier this year, which effectively killed a residential project previously proposed for the site.
“The City has taken an innovative approach to provide our residents with more quality open space that also serves the dual purpose of making our mile-square community more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla. “I look forward to working with the community on creating a multi-faceted park for all residents to enjoy.”
Hoboken’s press release is ambiguous as to how exactly the park’s construction will be financed. Plans that emerged over the summer for a 675-unit project at 930 Monroe Street had included a developer-funded buildout of the resiliency park property, but that proposal has not moved forward since it was presented during a community meeting.
When contacted by Jersey Digs regarding the park’s vague funding, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the city “is considering all options for funding the park’s ultimate construction including developer contributions, the open space trust fund, state and federal grants, and low-interest loans through the I-bank.”
The resiliency park at 800 Monroe Street would be the city’s third if completed. The Southwest Park opened in 2017 and is currently being expanded, while the five-acre Northwest Park is currently under construction and slated to open next year.
Both of those green spaces include underground water detention systems, and a park slated for Hoboken’s north waterfront as part of the federally funded Rebuild by Design endeavor will also include various green infrastructure.
