Of course evertone is looking out for their interests, including the guy that owns the Butler building and the Newmark guy...and I do think Healy is a crooked creep. Why doesn't Toll just move the tower to the Marin Blvd site of the property and make their proposed tower less intrusive.

The changes proposed for the Powerhouse Arts District redevelopment plan are on the Planning Board agenda for Tuesday, October 16 that is posted at City Hall.

(unfortunately the city's new website is not yet updated to include this)

Sort of a shame that Healy can't be impeached. Now I see why Cunningham was despised by the Democratic machine.

Well said JPhurst. The PAD needs to be preserved, its one of the only areas of JC that has some charecter, unlike the ghost town of a waterfront.

One other point. Even if people did not believe the buildings had historic significance or were not attractive (which clearly is not the case when they are properly restored), that would not give Toll Brothers the right to build sky high towers. The plan required new construction to fit within the district's guidelines. Waldo Lofts is an example of how new construction can fit in reasonably well.

Only in Jersey City do developers think they can demand 30 to 50 story towers as of right. Because they know that there are elements in this government that will fold to such demands.

Quote:

And then the original redevelopment plan came to fruition. And then 140 Bay and 150 Bay were restored according to Secretary of Interior standard. And then a mix of artists and other residents move in and brought life and vitality to this district.....

....And then Goldman bullied the city into settling, and since then, every developer has put plans on hold to see if they can extract similar concessions. Had the city simply enforced its own law, developers would have had to go along with the (very successful) plan. The city's willingness to capitulate to developers is what has prevented development from "waste land" to vibrant arts district.

Quote:

Nope. Toll Brothers's plan calls for the removal of the cobblestone street. It's one of six left in the city. But they don't give a rats ass, since they just want to build as high as possible. They will provide a characterless, featureless concrete slab that they will deem a "plaza," though.

This issue is about the integrity of our city's zoning and planning process and sets precedent for development/redevelopment throughout Jersey City

The challenge is to make this reasonate with the general public so that it is not seen as NIMBY. PADNA is doing a fantastic job and needs support from all over JC.

This is about Pay to Play, Conflicts of Interest and following the law.

Give them all the help you can.


Quote:

I find the City's actions even more outrageous. I can understand Toll Bros actions and motives, but the fact that the City would just let the developers do as they wish is appaliing.

Someone should start up a fund to sue the City to force them to implement the Plan. I will gladly donate. What about petitions!

Even if they're having trouble developing, they can just get the rights to build another skyscraper and sell it to someone else.

Toll Brothers' actions are outrageous. City officials must be told repeatedly that we expect them to stand by the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan.

We were told that with 111 First St. that there were "special circumstances" and that it was a necessary compromise to save the rest of the district. Everyone knew that this wasn't the case, but there's nothing wrong with holding public officials to their promises, even if we knew they didn't mean them in the first place.

Also, with the trouble that Toll is having with their developments in Brooklyn, I am surprised that they or JC would trust them to build a quality building


Toll Brothers Has a Secret

By Nicholas Yulico
TheStreet.com Staff Reporter
6/13/2007 6:46 AM EDT
Click here for more stories by Nicholas Yulico




Toll Brothers (TOL - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) CEO Robert Toll said on the company's recent earnings call that sales of the company's Brooklyn condos have been going "pretty strong," but he made no mention of the pricing problems at the developments.
In recent weeks, the homebuilder slashed prices by nearly 20% to sell a block of condo units that have less-than-desirable views in the first tower of Northside Piers, TheStreet.com has learned. What's more, the company appears to be having trouble selling the remaining 11 units that also suffer from poor views at North 8, a nearby project that has had these units on the market since October 2006.

Toll is building both developments along the waterfront in Brooklyn's Williamsburg section, which is a five-minute train ride across the East River to Manhattan. The area will eventually be home to numerous condo developments and parks as part of a rezoning plan approved by the city two years ago.

Over the past decade, Williamsburg has transformed itself from a cheap living destination for artists to a gentrified, pricey extension of Manhattan. While Toll's luxury condos would seem to be a surefire hit in the ever-expanding area, the company may have trouble finding premium pricing for the developments.

Lior Barak, who handles new Brooklyn condo sales for real estate firm Prudential Douglas Elliman, says that there is a lot of demand for housing in Williamsburg, but the Toll projects will be somewhat separated from the neighborhood itself.


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http://www.thestreet.com/_tscrss/news ... /realestate/10362133.html

Quote: Guys: I feel that this is another worthy fight for our community. Regardless of the actual location of your domicile in reference to Powerhouse Arts District we will need permanent locations for the Arts in the ?future Jersey City?. I do not live in the district but I do have access to it and would like to see it become a thriving Art Scene. Please join PADNA and donate to their legal fund. Thanks, DTG

Subject: CHAIRMAN OF NEWMARK KNIGHT FRANK ALIGNS WITH PADNA TO PREVENT DESTRUCTION OF ARTS NEIGHBORHOOD Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 22:50:51 -0400 From: "PADNA COMMUNICATION" <padna.communication@gmail.com> Subject: CHAIRMAN OF NEWMARK KNIGHT FRANK ALIGNS WITH PADNA TO PREVENT DESTRUCTION OF ARTS NEIGHBORHOOD P R E S S R E L E A S E For Immediate release: For more information contact: Monday, June 18, 2007 Rich Tomko 201-536-8779 www.padnajc.org <http://www.padnajc.org/> Chairman of Newmark KNIGHT FRANK aligns WITH PADNA TO PREVENT DESTRUCTION OF ARTS NEIGHBORHOOD PADNA (The Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association) of Downtown Jersey City is pleased to announce an alliance with Jeffrey Gural, Chairman of international real estate powerhouse Newmark Knight Frank. Mr. Gural's holdings include 150 Bay Street, a 19th C industrial building recently partially converted to residential use in the Powerhouse Arts District. Jeff Gural, who also owns property in SoHo and DUMBO, two similar type neighborhoods, is shocked that Jersey City is contemplating amending the PAD Redevelopment Plan to accommodate a development proposal by Philadelphia-based "McMansion" developer Toll Bros. Toll Bros, through their subsidiary 134 Bay Street , LLC, purchased the Manischewitz Matzoh factory last year. Subsequently, Toll has taken possession of the adjacent "Caputo" lot to the East. Toll has been informally vetting a proposal for both lots with Jersey City politicians and officials. PADNA is against this proposal because of its negative impact on the neighborhood: ? Demolition of Two Historic Buildings ? Destruction of Cobblestone Streets ? Double the Density Currently Permitted Under Law ? Plunge 4 Occupied and Actively Used Historic Warehouses into Permanent Shadow ? Gut the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan, perhaps the only Jersey City redevelopment plan developed with the Urban Land Institute and broad public input "We took great care in following the requirements of the PAD Redevelopment Plan. Now we have a landmark building that is home to a thriving community of artists, professionals and families. We saw what happened with DUMBO, and we understand the value of a thriving arts district. Anyone attempting a proposal of this nature [what Toll is proposing] would be laughed at by City Planning in New York," said Mr. Gural Jeff Gural has stated his intentions to "do what it takes" to prevent another amendment to the plan. He supports to the PAD Redevelopment Plan and he supports PADNA's efforts to keep existing law 100%. Mr. Gural marked the beginning of his relationship with PADNA with a $10,000 contribution to the PADNA legal fund. The PAD is home to over 350 residents with more than $125 million invested in the neighborhood. PADNA has over 150 active members, supports the current Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan, and strives for a transparent city government that supports its residents .

Here is a link to pics of the historic part of the building.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=143baystreet-jerseycity-nj-usa

There are actually two parts of the Manischewitz building

1) The cinder block warehouse portion that fronts Marin Blvd and much of Morgan and Bay Streets

2) The 100+ year old portion that fronts Provost Street and abuts the embedded rail line and cobblestone street. This portion of the Manischewitz building used to house part of the A&P headquarters back in the early 1900's and recently was used for manufacturing matzos.

Obviously, no one will shed a tear over the cinder block building being leveled, however, the historic portion of the building should be rehabbed.

Quote:

Is this a joke?

Location Column - Jersey Journal - Jarrett Renshaw - 4/11

The Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association, or PADNA, is seeking donations to fill its war chest, anticipating a costly legal battle over Toll Brothers' plans to break from the area's redevelopment plan.

Among PADNA's concerns are Toll Brothers plans to demolish the historic Manischewitz building to make room for high-rise residential living, a process that requires substantial deviation from the Power House Arts District Redevelopment Plan.

The plan also calls for the eradication of one of the city's last remaining cobblestone streets, which would be turned into a courtyard.

A host of city officials, including Mayor Jerramiah Healy and Planning Direct Robert Cotter, are expected to meet next week to try to decide what to do with the proposal.

The meeting doesn't strike me as the beacon of democracy, and the players would be smart to consult the redevelopment plan, which was approved through a democratic process.

If Toll is so happy about the merits of their proposal, one has to ask why they have repeatedly declined to discuss the plans with this columnist.

April 6, 2007


Re: Toll Brothers Development Plans for the Manischewitz and Caputo Lots in the PAD

Dear Friends,

As you know, the Powerhouse Arts District (PAD) is being redeveloped at lightning speed. As a neighborhood, our residents expect ?indeed welcome ?development. However, we believe this development should be done with an understanding of the intrinsic character of the neighborhood, a sense of history, and the wishes of its residents in mind.

As many Downtown residents recognize, the City?s failure to support its own laws as they related to the 111 First Street settlement established a precedent that developers could effectively negate zoning law which impacts their ability to maximize profits.

This precedent is now having a ?domino effect? on other planned development in the PAD. A proposed development for the Manischewitz Matzo Factory lot and the adjacent ?Caputo? lot (directly East) could represent the next domino to fall.

Toll Brothers, a national developer, is circulating a proposal to City Council and City Planning for the Manischewitz / Caputo sites that would radically change the look and feel of our growing neighborhood. If this proposal is approved, it will forever alter the scale and character of the PAD ? and not for the better. The Toll proposal will among other things,

? Demolish irreplaceable historic warehouses,
? Double the building density permitted by law,
? Build four times higher than permitted by law,
? Appropriate and destroy one of the last cobblestone streets in Jersey City, and
? Cast large portions of the neighborhood into permanent shadow.

Developers, the City Administration, and the Planning Department agree that this proposal violates the PAD Redevelopment Plan ? a long-term plan adopted by the City to encourage sensible and stable development of the area and to create a lively arts district to benefit all Jersey City residents. To date, the Redevelopment Plan has been very well received, spurring the development of a number of very successful projects.

Moreover, neither Toll nor the City has conducted environmental impact studies on how Toll?s proposed doubling in housing density would affect existing sewer, water and electrical service, traffic and parking within the immediate and surrounding neighborhoods, and overcrowding at the Grove Street PATH station and on trains.

Over the past several months, PADNA has worked diligently to make our concerns known ? meeting with various City politicians and employees, members of the press, and repeatedly attempting to meet with Toll. In addition, we are conducting a door-to-door voter registration drive to ensure that we have a strong voice in the future of our neighborhood and the City in the next election.

However, we also have come to realize that we will need legal counsel to help us understand our options and the strategies we can use to enforce existing laws and the goals of the PAD Redevelopment Plan.

Accordingly, we are appealing to you to support the PADNA Legal Fund by donating $500, $1,000, or $5,000. While we will likely need tens of thousands of dollars to be effective, any amount that you or your organization is able to contribute will help us reach our goal. Any donated funds will be used solely to aid us in addressing the Toll Brothers proposal that intends to eviscerate a historic area of the City and other similar ill-advised future development.

Additionally, we encourage you and your members to get on our email list by writing to us at padna.communication@gmail.com. We will keep you up to date with all breaking news. Please visit our new website at www.padnajc.org

If we don?t stop the Manischewitz/Caputo domino from falling, the Powerhouse Arts District, as sensibly envisioned in 2002, will cease to exist. There are many dominos located throughout Downtown. We can either choose to stand up now or look forward to fighting this battle elsewhere as
the same sort of developer greed creeps into other historic Jersey City neighborhoods.

Sincerely,



Rich Tomko
PADNA President

P.S.: Please make checks out to ?PADNA?, with ?Legal Fund? written in the memo section, and mail to the PADNA, PO Box 3834, Jersey City, NJ 07303-3834. Please contact us at
padna.communication@gmail.com with your comments or thoughts. The Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association is a New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation, and all contributions are non-refundable and tax-deductible; we will send you a receipt for tax purposes.

PADNA Board
Janine Berger (VP, Marketing), Jill Edelman (At Large), Sanket Khanna (VP, Communications), Kevin Pollack (At
Large), Kara Tomko (Secretary), Mike Wentzel (Treasurer).

PADNA Development Committee
Jill Edelman,- Head, Development Committee (Architect), Evan Gourvitz (Attorney), Brian Gustufson
(Artist/Professor of Art NJCU), Robert Koch (Artist), Kathy Kocian (Graphic Design), Kathryn Leonard (Media),
Margaret Santos (Architect/Professor, Temple University), Antonio Santos (Architect/Professor of City Planning
NJIT)), Marc Simon (Architect/Commercial Real Estate Broker), Leigh Smith (Attorney), and Rich Tomko (Media)



Toll Brothers Development Plan Summary

The following is a summary of what Toll Brothers is permitted to do under existing city law (the PAD Redevelopment Plan) and the details we have been able to gather regarding Toll Brothers? new development proposal.

As you will note, Toll?s development plan is in direct conflict with the language and the spirit of the PAD Redevelopment Plan. It shows a complete disregard for the scale of the neighborhood, as well as the texture and character of the existing warehouses.

March 2006. Toll Brothers - a national luxury housing developer - purchased the Manischewitz matzo factory (Lot 171).

Fall/Winter 2006. After the City?s settlement of the 111 First Street lawsuits, Toll Brothers also acquired a majority stake in the adjacent lot (Lot 140, commonly called the Caputo Lot), through a joint venture with Hoboken-based developer Fields Development Group.

December 2006. Toll Brothers began circulating their vision for the development of the Manischewitz/Caputo sites which includes:

- All existing structures on both sites, including the two historic warehouses, would be demolished.
- The Manischewitz and Caputo sites would be joined, tearing up Provost Street - one of Jersey City?s last remaining cobblestone streets. Toll proposes to replace the
cobblestones with a 200? x 200? concrete plaza between the two building bases.

Manischewitz Lot (Lot 171):

Permitted by existing law:
- The 6-story warehouse (formerly the A&P Annex) at the eastern side of the site would be rehabilitated. The remainder of the site could be leveled and built new.
- New construction would have a maximum FAR (Floor Area Ratio) of 7, a height limit of 90? (excluding setback penthouses) and maximum lot coverage of 80%.

Tolls Development plans:
- Demolish the historic A&P Annex building
- Erect a 200? x 310? five-story retail and parking base, filling out almost the entire block.
- Two wall-like towers on top of the parking base, oriented East/West - essentially blocking all sun to 150 Bay Street.
- Both towers would rise from the lot lines and have no setbacks.
o The southwest tower would rise 409 feet ? more than four times the legal limit.
o The northeast tower would rise 329 feet ? more than three times the legal limit.
- A proposed FAR approaching 15 ? more than twice the legal limit.

Caputo Lot (Lot 140):

Permitted by existing law:
- The 5-story J. Leo Cooke warehouse at the eastern edge of the site would be rehabilitated and turned into residential units and ground floor retail and galleries.
- The 2-story warehouse at the southeast corner of the site would be rehabilitated and converted into a black box theater.
- New construction up to 170? high, without setbacks of residential units, would take place on the site of the former parking lot. There will be ground-floor retail and galleries as outlined by the PAD plan.

Tolls Development Plans:
- Demolish the historic J Leo Cooke warehouse building
- Erect a 200? x 200? seven-story retail and parking base, filling out almost the entire block.
- One wall-like tower across the entire base, oriented East/West, blocking all sun to 140 Bay Street.
o The tower will rise 288 feet - almost twice the legal limit.
o Provost Street, one of the last cobblestone streets in Jersey City, would be taken over and torn up by Toll to create a 200? x 200? concrete plaza between the two bases.

For visual representations of the proposed Toll Brothers plans for the Manischewitz and Caputo sites and the legally approved development rights, click here http://www.padnajc.org/Keeping_the_PAD.html