Hoboken Breaks Ground On Southwest Park, But Will Eminent Domain Follow?

Hoboken, NJ – Hoboken city officials have broken ground on Southwest Park, but will it take eminent domain to ensure that the project expands?

Last week, city officials held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the first construction phase for the proposed flood resistance park in southwest Hoboken, which officials said is designed to hold 200,000 gallons of storm water runoff and may one day serve as a “model for green infrastructure resiliency parks in New Jersey.”

According to a city news release, when complete, the park will feature passive recreational space, a dog run, moveable cafe tables, a pop-up market zone, restrooms, multi-level seating for small performances, free public Wi-Fi, and a lawn with child-friendly interactive park features. It will also include green infrastructure (rain gardens, shade tree pits, porous pavers, a cistern for rainwater harvesting and reuse) and an underground detention system to reduce stormwater run-off and localized flooding.

The project is slated for completion in summer of 2017. Park renderings, project updates, and additional information are available here.

EMINENT DOMAIN

It took a $4.5 million eminent domain purchase of the property the park is currently located on to kickstart the project in December, NJ.com reported.

According to city officials, funding to purchase the property was provided from a $3 million Hudson County Open Space grant. Financing to construct the park is provided through a low-interest loan from the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust.

The park is designed to expand across Harrison Street to a separate acre of property currently owned by the Hoboken-based Academy Bus company, NJ.com reported.

However, Academy and city officials have a wide gap between their valuations of the property; the company wants $13 million, while city officials say the property is worth between $4 and $5 million.

The two sides are currently negotiating in good faith, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer said during last week’s groundbreaking ceremony.

But Zimmer added that she was prepared to use the city’s power of eminent domain to acquire the Academy property if a deal can’t be reached, NJ.com reported.

“The Southwest Park project will transform a parking lot into a green oasis for this thriving neighborhood and will be a model for building resiliency parks that help mitigate flooding,” Zimmer stated in a news release. “This park has been a goal of mine since 10 years ago when I was a stay-at-home mom advocating with my neighbors, and it is the reason why I got involved in government.”

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Photo Rendering: City of Hoboken