$230M ‘Rebuild By Design’ Moves Forward In Hoboken

HOBOKEN, NJ — The “check is in the mail” phase of the Rebuild by Design Hudson River project is over.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released $230 million in funding for the much-lauded project, which aims to protect Hoboken and parts of Weehawken and Jersey City from rising sea levels and the impact of climate change, as well as frequent flooding in the area due to storm surges, high tides and heavy rainfall.

The Rebuild by Design project at the Hudson River is part of a multi-stage planning and design competition that “promotes resilience” in the regions hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy.

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The project consists of four components:

• “Resist”: A combination of hard infrastructure (such as bulkheads, floodwalls and seawalls) and soft landscaping features (such as berms and/or levees which could be used as parks) that act as barriers along the coast during exceptionally high tide and/or storm surge events
• “Delay”: Policy recommendations, guidelines and urban green infrastructure to slow stormwater runoff
• “Store”: Green and grey infrastructure improvements, such as bioretention basins, swales, and green roofs, that slow down and capture stormwater, and which will complement the efforts of the City of Hoboken’s existing Green Infrastructure Strategic Plan
• “Discharge”: Enhancements to Hoboken’s existing stormwater management system, including the identification and upgrading of existing stormwater/sewer lines, outfalls and pumping stations

Read more about the Hudson River project here.

“This is a major milestone for the long-term resiliency of our city,” Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer said. “Thanks to strong community support, Hoboken is now on track to work with the State of New Jersey, Weehawken, and Jersey City towards the final design of this project over the next 18 to 24 months.”

• See related article: Great (Flood) Wall Of Hoboken: 5 Things You Need To Know

Zimmer said that the federal funds are dedicated specifically for the Hudson River RBD project and are no longer at risk of being repurposed by the federal government for any reason. Completion of this project is now in the hands of the State of New Jersey and Hoboken, Weehawken, and Jersey City, she added.

“Going forward, it will be important to work closely with the community and the state to finalize the design so that it can be completed by the funding deadline of 2022, providing essential protection for residents, businesses and critical facilities,” Zimmer said.

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Patch file photo