Hoboken Mayor Paying City Contractor To Expand Private Home

HOBOKEN, NJ —Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla is constructing an addition behind his Garden Street home and paying a city contractor to do it, Bhalla's private campaign spokesman confirmed Monday.

Hoboken-based Nastasi Builders was awarded a $1.7 million Hoboken contract by the City Council in February to build a proposed city recreation/public safety/public works complex on 15th Street, a project over which the city has been wrangling with the current property owner.

NJ.com first reported Sunday that Bhalla has privately hired the Nastasi firm to perform the work of renovating and adding a three-story addition to his family home, which his father gave to him in 2016, the story said.

Bhalla's private spokesperson said Nastasi will be the general contractor for the private expansion.

"The mayor is paying market rate for the work that is being done on his home and it is completely unrelated to any work being done for the city," Rob Horowitz told Patch on Monday.

Among potential conflicts, the quality of Nastasi's work on the private project could theoretically affect future public hiring. But Horowitz said, "Before hiring Mr. Nastasi, the mayor vetted his hiring decision with the city’s legal counsel who determined there was not a conflict. "

Nastasi's firm has been used for public and private projects in the area for years, including a Hoboken wet weather pump station.

Property Owner

Hoboken is a mile-square city where families often can't afford to stay, particularly due to the lack of affordable three-bedroom homes

Horowitz was asked if Bhalla — who earns $116,950 as full-time mayor and holds a $60,000 "of counsel" job at a law firm — could still relate to the average resident.

More than 50 percent of children attending the public schools are eligible for free or reduced school lunch, meaning their family of four would earn $51,338 annually at most.

"Over his six years in office," Horowitz said, "Mayor Bhalla has demonstrated that he not only cares about the challenges all Hoboken residents face, but that he works hard every day to improve all residents' quality of life as well as to lend a helping hand to the city's most economically-challenged residents."

Bhalla also has a 20 percent stake in a property in West Caldwell and owns property at 2 Constitution Court, NJ.com said.

NJ.com said the expansion remains within current zoning guidelines for the property, and may cost as much as $547,700, including plumbing and sewer work. The NJ.com story can be found here.