Hoboken Continues Tug Of War Over Union Dry Dock

HOBOKEN, NJ — The tug of war over the fate of the Union Dry Dock in Hoboken continues.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla has called for a special meeting of the Hoboken City Council on Wednesday, Feb. 28 to consider authorizing the acquisition of the former Union Dry Dock property “for the purpose of completing the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway within Hoboken and for public open space and recreation.”

According to a municipal news release, the meeting will begin with a closed session at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers.

City officials have been struggling over the fate of the dry dock with NJ Transit, which has expressed interest in purchasing the property and leasing it back to a private company, NY Waterway, for use as a ferry maintenance and refueling facility.

• See related article: NJ Transit Vote On Union Dry Dock In Hoboken Postponed

In November 2017, the Hoboken City Council authorized the use of eminent domain for the acquisition of the Union Dry Dock site at 901 Sinatra Drive to use as "open space." The ability to wield eminent domain allows government entities to force the sale of land at a "fair price" for the public good.

• See related article: Hoboken Council Greenlights Eminent Domain For Dry Dock

Bhalla’s office issued the following statement about the proposal:

“The city hired an appraiser which determined that the property has a value of $11,630,000. The council will consider an ordinance on first reading to authorize the acquisition of the property through a negotiated purchase in the amount not to exceed $11,630,000 or by condemnation if a negotiated purchase cannot be effectuated.”

Bhalla added:

"Our community's decades-long vision for a continuous, public waterfront park is finally within reach. I thank all of the elected officials and advocates who have put so much time and energy into protecting our waterfront and look forward to completing the transformation of our formerly industrial waterfront into a world-class park system."

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Photo: City of Hoboken