Most are not from what I've found. I also don't know if the masterplans are available, but the planning department usually has the plans for various new approved / proposed buildings. For Hudson Square, check out the renderings on the architect's site:
http://www.arquitectonica.com/

Hudson Square / Metropolitan should be under mixed used. These damn architects think they are fancy with flash pages but it just makes it harder to locate things on their sites.

thanks Ian....Anyway to view them on-line ?

I think these things are on file at 30 Montgomery street? I believe that's the planning office.

Would appreciate some feedback here....I am new to downtown JC and have a question. In various publications & Websites, I have seen several references to sections of downtown JC called "masterplan redevelopment Zones" ie: Hudson Exchange, Merto Plaza, Newport etc. Apparently, each section has its own unique plan, as approved by the planning board of JC.

Question is, where can we "view" each of there Master Plans ? I tried to Google it, but any meaninful results were Planning Borad meeting minutes and thats it. Any way to view these overall plans ?

Cheers !

Quote:

First, in all likelihood, another decade will pass before the Shoprite / BJ's part of the strip mall is removed. The Metropolitan, even if it broke ground today, would probably take 3 years for construction. Furture buildings have not even been officially proposed, other than the architect's masterplan for the site. They are probably nothing more than a dot on a map.

Second, I think its more likely that Shoprite will be driven out of business before it comes time to demolish the building. The reason I say this is that while area demographics continue to change-- specifically, higher incomes-- Shoprite continues to offer low quality produce, poor customer service, and lacks many of the amenities of modern mega-marts. At the same time several new grocery stores are planned. Newport is getting a high end grocery store in the Shore Club, which I think will attract most of Newport's population. A&P recently modernized their location. Finally, LHN will also have a grocery store in about 18 to 24 months.

amen brewster.. we DO need these amenities here (more of them in fact) but they do have to blend into the "urban fabric" a little better than a huge parking lot and a conventional single level store. To your point, HD, while in a crazed location, DOES get very vertical, and is delivering something like I've never seen a suburban HD do... it's DESIGNED. Look at those multi-story huge orange towers!

Quote:

Nothing wrong with having convenient shopping, they just have to change their design mode from "suburban cheap land" mode to urban efficiency. Without getting into it's location problem, look at the new Home Depot for an efficiency example.

Personally, I think Target get the award for worst use of space. Their lot for 1 store is nearly the size of Metro Plaza.

Can the city require that a supermarket remain in operation continuously throughout the redevelopment?

Will I be called a commie for even suggesting this type of government interference with private property?

thank god for that. what an un-urban eye sore those are

Hudson Square was discussed in a newspaper article sometime in the last year, but I can't recall which paper. But the basic premise of Hudson Square is Metro Plaza (Sixth Street, Marin, Second, and Light Rail) will eventually become 8 towers. The Metropolitan is designed as the "signature" tower, a skyline icon that will be the anchor of the development. The article also quoted the developer (and this is from memory, so it may not be verbatim) "there will always be retail" at metroplaza. However, the implication was that eventually the retail components would be in the base of towers-- think Whole Foods at Time Warner Center, or the Bed Bath and Beyond on 6th Avenue. But that being said, 8 towers could easily take 20 years to build. Just look how long its taken for the Metropolitan-- proposed and approved more than a year ago, and still they haven't broken ground. For now there is plenty of vacant or under used land in Jersey City, and so the relative cost is low. But eventually when there are fewer parking lots around, it simply will be financially impossible to continue operating strip malls and big box stores.

I was looking at the website for the developers of the Metropolitan and I see that they are planning something called Hudson Square which I think is great but I haven't heard anything about. Will there be a park? Or just a sh_tty little town square like at Newport?

Now, I can also understand why someone would have paid $500,000 for those what-I-consider jazzed-up trailer homes on Marin? Where will the Shop Rite go? I'm hoping away and that it will be replaced by an upscale market.