We Stand with Hoboken Over NJ Transit on Union Dry Dock

Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla has suspended Eminent Domain proceedings for the Union Dry Dock until a compromise can be reached between the City and New Jersey Transit. The Hoboken City Council voted unanimously to begin negotiations to acquire the former Union Dry Dock for its assessed value of $11.6 million. The city wants to acquire the land for open public space. NJ Transit wants to lease the land for the operation of a ferry maintenance and repair facility and the proposal on the agenda for their April 4^th meeting. The 130-year-old shipyard occupies about 3 acres of riverfront land between 10th and 11th Streets, which the city wants for another link in its chain of waterfront parks and walkways opposite the Manhattan skyline. Governor Murphy originally opposed this idea but now it is back on the agenda. Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, released the following statement:

“Due to NJ Transit’s emergency meeting to push this dirty deal through, the City of Hoboken has had to suspend their efforts to acquire the former Union Dry Dock. We need the people to come out to this April 4^th meeting to speak out for the Public Trust and against this project. The City wants to keep this land for open public space and that’s what it should be used for. We stand with the Mayor and People of Hoboken and with preserving open space for the people of New Jersey.

“NJ Transit is playing games to get their way and the Murphy Administration is letting them do it. During his transition, Governor Murphy called the project ‘irresponsible’ and asked for it to be pulled from the NJT agenda; an act we praised him for. If he really supports the people of Hoboken and preserving the waterfront for future generations, he must have NJT take it off their agenda for next week. Otherwise, this would be nothing more than a political game by the Administration.

“The City of Hoboken has gone to court to safe this property and now NJT shamefully wants to take it away from them. NJ Transit is trying to build in the middle of green way and river walk in Hoboken. This is a heavy industrial use that will increase air pollution and noise from diesel engines. The project would also interfere with the Hudson River walkway. There are alternatives sites for this facility that make more sense. This area is tidal land that belongs to all of us. The City of Hoboken upholding that by keeping it as open space.

“This is land that is held in the Public Trust and it does not belong to a private ferry operator. It’s an important part of open space and developing on it would have environmental impacts. This is another example of a rouge agency that is out of control that has gone on to destroy one of the best transit systems in the country. They have increased fares, cut down on services and the trains are always breaking down. The public needs to come out and say no to this taking what should be public space and to this give away to a private company!”

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 beginning at 2:00 p.m. at the NJ TRANSIT Headquarters Building, One Penn Plaza East, Newark, NJ.