$1.8M For Hoboken Open Space: Cove Park, Waterfront, Dog Runs

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken just got a $1.8 million boost that will power several projects to improve open space and parks in the city.

On Tuesday, city officials announced the municipality was awarded $1,819,132 in grant funding from the state of New Jersey and Hudson County.

Hoboken received $1,069,132 in state Green Acres funding that will help pay for the creation of Cove Park, part of the City’s Rebuild by Design effort. The funds will also help restore a portion of the waterfront walkway in Hoboken at Weehawken Cove.

In addition, Hudson County awarded the city $500,000 for the construction of the Northwest Resiliency Park, as well as $250,000 for the renovation of dog runs at Stevens Park and Church Square Park, officials said.

“I’m incredibly thrilled Hoboken has been selected for these major sources of funding for our open space initiatives,” Mayor Ravi Bhalla said. There are no two more important park projects currently underway in Hoboken than our Northwest and Cove resiliency parks, which will become models for the state and region for including above and below ground infrastructure to address flooding.”

According to city officials, $1 million of the Green Acres funding will support the redevelopment of Harborside Park into Cove Park, which will be included in the Rebuild by Design coastal flood risk reduction strategy. The park will serve the dual purpose of providing both open space and above-ground infrastructure to protect Hoboken from storm surge.

About $69,000 of the Green Acres funding will be allocated for repairs to the waterfront walkway near Cove Park at 16th Street and create a “living shoreline” pilot project, officials said.

When complete, the three-acre Cove Park will become the first in New Jersey with elevated flood protection features, Hoboken officials said.

• Learn more about Cove Park

City officials said that $500,000 received through Hudson County’s Open Space Trust Fund will help offset the cost of construction of the five-acre Northwest Resiliency Park. (Learn more about the project)

“In addition to open space amenities, the park includes above ground green infrastructure to absorb and manage up to one million gallons of water during rain events, and an underground tank and filtration system to store an additional one million gallons of rainwater,” city officials stated.

The park will become New Jersey’s largest resiliency park when complete, officials said.

“We are pleased to continue to assist Hoboken in its efforts to expand and improve open space through the Hudson County Open Space Trust,” Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise said. “Hoboken has so much to offer, helping them construct parks and recreation space for everyone (including pets) is crucial to the city’s growth and quality of life.”

City officials said the $250,000 from the county awarded for improvements at the dog runs in Stevens Park and Church Square Park will pay for:

• new, “modern canine synthetic turf surfaces” to replace the gravel surfaces
• upgrades to the water fountains at both parks
• improvements to shade at the large dog run in Church Square Park

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