Looks like they're finally (finally) about to start putting some grass down in the park!

Is the whole walkway around the clock open now? I was wondering the other day when that was going to happen...

Hopefully they will include some public amenities (call of nature) - It would be a good opportunity for someone to start a segway hire business along it - its a good stretch that takes you near the Statue of Liberty (A bike shop could supplement their income and be a tourist activity, if promoted well - There could also be a grant one could apply for)

Hudson river waterfront walkway extension near colgate clock now open...

New waterfront walkway

Quote:

This has nothing to do with the public space at the waterfront.

In any case, the Paulus Hook Park was assessed under the 2008 parks master plan.

http://www.jerseycitynj.gov/administration.aspx?id=2452
(link to long PDF, item #42 on page 91).

Historic Paulus Hook Park slated for major renovation to serve community for recreation

Monday, July 05, 2010
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Shaded areas to sit, space for children to play, and eye-catching gardens are high on the wish-list for a redesigned Jersey City's Historic Paulus Hook Park, according to a survey conducted by the Historic Paulus Hook Neighborhood Association.

The survey was conducted in February and March and 395 people responded, officials with the association said.

On June 23, the City Council voted unanimously to have the park - located on all four corners of Washington and Grand streets in Downtown - redesigned by members of the association working with city officials. The new agreement would also allow the association to raise and donate funds to cover the cost of the new park.

"In light of the economic challenges you're seeing more and more community groups take ownership and responsibility of different aspects of their neighborhood," said Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop, who sponsored the resolution.

Stephanie Daniels, head of the Historic Paulus Hook Association's parks committee, said the group is drafting a request-for-proposal to hire a firm to do conceptual drawings of the park and hopefully ground will be broken next year.

Daniels said the survey shows people want trees for shade, dedicated sitting or relaxing space, separate play areas for toddlers and older children, gardens accessible to the public, lawns, picnic space, and a historic element to the park.

"The problem with this park right now is it's four exclusive corners," she said. "You don't have any idea that it's a park and you don't have any idea that it's a rich historic site."

She said it was the park's rich history that inspired her to take

on the renovation project.

The park is the site of the Aug. 19, 1779 Battle of Paulus Hook. Light Horse Harry Lee led the battle and launched the attack on the British-controlled fort, which is now the site of the park.

The association is working with the Jersey City School District to have the trailers behind School 16 removed from one of the park's four corners this summer.

Daniels said the park - most of which has been gated shut since the 1980s - would be opened up under the new design.

The city is offering its architect and Division of Parks and Forestry staff to help with the project.

For more information about the effort and how to make a donation, visit http://paulushook.net.

Peninsula Park in Jersey City eroding away

By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
April 07, 2010, 3:10PM


The walkway at Peninsula Park in Downtown Jersey City is rapidly eroding. There are no state funds to save the park and residents are getting concerned.

Situated near Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Jersey City residents say Peninsula Park may have some of the best views the waterfront has to offer.

The park was a place where people gathered on Sept. 11, 2001 to watch the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers directly across the Hudson River.Jerry McCrea/NJNP Photo




Artist Joseph Chirchirillo of Jersey City mounts his sculpture entitled, 'Dinobird' at Peninsula Park in Jersey City in 1999, in preparation for the Art on the Waterfront Peninsula Park Sculpture Project.

On sunny days like today, Peninsula Park is a place where mothers push strollers along the gravel path, local business employees enjoy lunch on park benches and residents sit to read a book.

But there may not be much park left to enjoy soon. The state-owned property is rapidly eroding. A temporary railing has been placed along the gravel path, which is literally crumbling. The state plans to relocate the path this summer, but there are no funds for long-term solutions, like replacing the bulk head.

Peninsula Park, which is part of Liberty State Park, isn't the only parcel being damaged. A section of Liberty State Park proper, next to Liberty House restaurant, has also been cordoned off because the bulk head is damaged.

Groups like the Jersey City Waterfront Parks Conservancy, which has a master plan that calls for stabilizing and connecting Peninsula Park to the nearby Colgate Clock site, don't want to see the land vanish.

For more on the problems at Peninsula Park read The Jersey Journal.



A bulkhead at Liberty State Park in Jersey City has been closed to the public for safety reasons. Erosion at the site has worsened in recent months.

A $1 million grant to the state Department of Environmental Protection for the construction of the Hudson River waterfront walkway and park at Morris Canal Little Basin, in Jersey City, will be a boon to the state?s second-largest municipality, said Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy.

?Portions of the Hudson River waterfront walkway are already complete in Jersey City, but this particular component is much needed, and will be a great asset to our city,? he said. ?The creation of additional open space and park area is critical to the progress of an urban employment and residential hub such as Jersey City.?

Jersey City is now suing Colgate over maintenance costs for the clock.


http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... y_sues_toothpaste_co.html

PHResident wrote:

Quote:

Thank you for these comments. I agree whole-heartedly with your concerns about the park group's (not a conservancy) grip on reality, the funding question, the political will, and the concessions from 5+ groups. Also, they're simply cutting in line. There are many other parks which need a face-lift, but it's apparent those parks are in the "wrong" zip code.

I voiced similar comments here:
http://www.wearenew.com/blog/2008/5/2 ... -fundraiser.html#comments

The relevant point of agreement is the park org and their work, as I consider them:

An untested organization, as new as November 2007, who admits it will have to compete against the several other stakeholders/ power-brokers who own the land, and whom may have their own "designs" for it despite community feedback. Get real! Jersey City powerbrokers may support the project because they also see the benefit, but they're not pushovers.

I wish the JCWPC and Matt Johnson the best with this project to fix up that blighted park, but at $100, this fundraiser is a major turn-off. Until the JCWPC can show me they've made solid, measurable progress, have won over the zoning board, have the stakeholders on board, have approval from the mayor and council, or have advanced to the stage where actually hiring a landscape architect to frame up the park concept is the right item on the agenda... my tin is staying in my purse and under my mattress.

Jon Whiten (formerly of City Belt, then of New Magazine, and now of Jersey City Independent) replied thoughtfully.

Thanks snowflake for pointing this Architect's Newspaper article out. I pasted it below so you don't have to go searching. Pictures are here: http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=3358

The Jersey City Shore
Plans unveiled for rare public park on city's Hudson waterfront

Starr Whitehouse and nARCHITECTS have designed a park for the Jersey City waterfront.
Courtesy JCWPC
In recent years, New York City has finally been reclaiming its moribund industrial waterfront. But across the Hudson, Jersey City has been at it for decades. The problem, as some see it, is that while New York has mostly been redeveloping its waterfront as parkland, Jersey City has almost exclusively built office and apartment towers on its shores since redevelopment began in the 1980s.

?Sure, there?s the promenade, but that?s basically just a steel railing,? Matthew Johnson, president of the Jersey City Waterfront Parks Conservancy, said of the city?s current open-space offerings. ?We want more of a natural feel.?


The proposed park would stretch from the Goldman Sachs tower across little basin via a bridge to the peninsula.
Julian Olivas
And so the conservancy unveiled plans for Paulus Hook Park on March 26. Designed by Starr Whitehouse and nARCHITECTS, the 9-acre park on the southern end of downtown seeks to weave together a half-dozen disparate lots into a destination for the area. ?With the tremendous amount of residential development that has sprung up in Jersey City, there are a limited number of parks to serve this new community,? Johnson said.

One of the main challenges behind connecting the six separate plots is that they are owned by as many government agencies: Liberty State Park, the New Jersey Department of Military Veteran Affairs, the Morris Canal and Banking Company, the Colgate Center Property Owners Association, and the city.


The park was originally conceived as an alternative to the corporate and condo towers that have overtaken the Jersey City waterfront.
As if that were not enough of a challenge, the conservancy is also working against nascent development interests. Indeed, the group was founded two years ago after word had spread that some groups had expressed interest in building on various sites within the planned park. Thanks to the recession, the conservancy hopes it may have bought enough time to get the park past the planning stages and into the political ones. ?It may be the perfect opportunity before somebody decides to build one of these pieces,? Johnson said.

At the heart of the park is a 1,000-foot-long shank-shaped spit of land that is already a public park, though it is little more than a plot of grass that is quickly eroding?a foot per year, estimates Johnson?because of heavy ferry traffic. One of the first tasks the designers will undertake if the park gets built is shoring up the peninsula against further erosion.


One of two proposed concession stands in the park designed by nARCHITECTS.
Beyond that, the plans call for a largely passive park, based on extensive community surveys. The surveys started with 25 different uses, from the most active (soccer fields and jogging tracks) to the most passive (walking paths and lawns for picnics and sunbathing). Johnson said the reaction was overwhelming for the latter, though a volleyball court will be included for a local group that currently plays on the extant park. A dog run is also being added, by popular demand.

Active uses aside, the idea is to provide a peaceful respite with views of the city and respect for the surroundings. ?The community really understands that,? Stephen Whitehouse, principal of Starr Whitehouse, said. ?They value the basic landscape, the sweep of that outdoor landscape and the sweep of the city and the river and the sun. Yes, there are some activities they wanted, but they really wanted a park that respects the space, one that integrated with the natural landscape that already exists.?


The "infinity bridge" is meant to serve as both circulation and symbol for the park.
Or at least used to. Across the Little Basin from the peninsula, the spaces are mostly vacant. The iconic Colgate Clock is still there, but otherwise the land is occupied with parking, a dilapidated shoreline, a basketball court, and a roller hockey rink. In addition to the new landscape, the designers want to add an education component on the north side of the basin detailing the history of the canal that once led inland from the site, including a tie-up for a historic barge. A Korean War memorial on a secluded part of the site will be moved to a more prominent location on the northern plot and surrounded by perennial gardens.

The signature piece of the park is the ?infinity bridge,? a swooping figure-eight of wood that joins the peninsula to the northern side of the park. Designed by nARCHITECTS, the bridge is meant to visually represent the connectivity and continuity of the park with its surroundings and history while also serving the practical purpose of easing circulation within it. ?The longer you can walk in green the more transformed you can become,? said Laura Starr of Starr Whitehouse.


A plan of the proposed park (Click to view larger image).
The project is still in the planning phases, though Johnson said that he has spoken with all the associated public agencies about the project and they have all been supportive so far. ?We?re confident this park will be built,? he said.

Matt Chaban

Quote:

Right as usual JCase. That one is in Indiana, I think. Colgate had a thing for clocks, I guess. (Time to brush your teeth?)
I found a picture of the JC site on this website, fifth picture in.

JC tour site

I'm still looking for a picture of the Maxwell House coffee cup, and can't believe I'm having trouble finding one.
And I'm not sure that its there anymore. Anyone else know?
I could have sworn they were going to save it.

Quote:

That's not the building it was on in Jersey City.

Binky - here's one of Colgate on the building that I dug up:

http://www.agilitynut.com/06/3/colgate.jpg

The Waterfront Parks Conservancy is the group responsible for this. They are a group of local residents who form a group specifically for five plots of park land along the waterfront in Paulus Hook.

First, let me start by saying that I hope their vision comes to fruition, but I have my doubts.

The five parcels of land that they are interested in developing into a cohesive park are all owned by different entities. The State of New Jersey owns some, Jersey City owns some, Liberty State Park owns some and the Colgate Property Owners Association owns some. As a matter of fact, the portion owned by the Colgate Property Owners Association doesn't even seem to be part of the renditions they have posted online. That park is being renovated in the coming months and I don't think the Association has any interest in giving up any control they have over this property.

I also believe that they have no buy in, let alone any commitments, from any of the other remaining property owners. My best guess is that the City might be the lone party with some interest because they are often looking for ways to not have to cough up any money. But the other owners of these parcels of land probably aren't going to be so quick to turn over control to an outside group.

Again, I hope that I am wrong, but I have my doubts.

Finally, having been part of the gestation of this group, and knowing some of the shenanigans that went on during that time, I have some serious doubts that the organization is put together well enough to be able to cut through all of the red tape to get this done. One member in particular (who has a great deal of power in the organization) doesn't do very well when things don't go his way. He tends to throw fits and storm out of meetings. I can only imagine what is going to happen when this moves from a planning concept with lovely designs on paper to actual dealings with all of the governmental agencies and the other owners of this land. About the second or third time one or more of these entities pushes back, the afore mentioned person will probably become apoplectic and his head is likely to explode.

I know I sound cynical, but I lived it.

So let's hope a miracle happens and that they actually surprise me and accomplish their goal. It would be good for my neighborhood of Paulus Hook and Jersey City as a whole.

Plan new park at river's edge in Jersey City
Thursday, April 09, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A Jersey City parks group has released a plan to create a 9-acre waterfront park with a continuous walkway from the Goldman Sachs building to the Korean War Memorial on Washington Street.

The plan, created by the architectural firms Starr Whitehouse and nArchitects, was commissioned by the Jersey City Waterfront Parks Conservancy, a group formed two years ago to preserve and enhance open spaces on Jersey City's waterfront.

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The proposed park, drawn up with input from the Downtown community, connects six parcels of parkland that are either in disrepair, rapidly eroding or not currently open to the public, officials said. The one-mile walkway will feature a bridge to the War Memorial.

The plan also includes a floating island, a wet meadow, and several points of access to the water's edge.

There is also a dog run, gardens, slides, swings, two pavilions, restrooms and a venue for concerts, puppet shows or other events.

The group is currently developing an estimate of how much the plan would cost, but group spokesman Patrick Johnson said expenses should run in the tens of millions of dollars. Johnson said the group hopes to use state and federal grants.

The parcels are currently owned by the city, the state and a neighborhood association, officials said. Johnson said the next step is to get these entities and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to sign onto the plan.

"The Mayor's Office and the Division of City Planning were presented with the plan to connect the parks about a week ago and the city will be working with the Conservancy to help advance their plan," city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said.

Here's a good look at the plan. I took it from their website.

I think it looks lovely. Stone would be easier to maintain. I do not have a problem with that issue. Any open space is more that welcome.

Thank you for posting the link

I apologize if I'm late with this (I haven't noticed it posted elsewhere) but here's a look at the proposed plan that was unveiled last week (from the JC Waterfront Parks Conservancy website, http://www.jcwpc.org/ ):

I think it looks great, although there is a lot of stone Thoughts?

Taken from curbed:
Given our recent gushing about Brooklyn Bridge Park, forgive us for missing yesterday's unveiling of another crucial Manhattan-facing waterfront proposal. We're speaking, of course, of the Paulus Hook Park proposal for Jersey City.

Fourteen architecture firms competed for the commission, which seeks to unify a section of the Jersey City waterfront just north of Liberty State Park in the Paulus Hook section of the city. Chosen from that batch: the team of nARCHITECTS?answering the question of what they've been up to since the Switch Building on the Lower East Side?and Starr Whitehouse, which has its hands in all sorts of NYC parks projects.

As for the design itself, it seems to fit the postmodern parks paradigm that's become common these days. Rolling hills! Flirty bridges! Which isn't a putdown at all?we're really digging the waterfront landscape architecture of New York City harbor as of late. Or maybe we're just ready for summer.

==============================

Creating a waterfront park downtown
After years of work, group to present master plan Tuesday

by Ricardo Kaulessar
Hudson Reporter

A VIEW OF A PARK, WITH ROOM ? This view is of the downtown Jersey City waterfront in the city?s Paulus Hook section that is being considered for a continuous waterfront park. Plans for this new park will be shown to the public this coming Tuesday.

The downtown Jersey City waterfront is one of the most coveted areas for developers and businesses in New Jersey. But the residents want to make sure enough land is preserved for a park.

Dr. Barbara Betro, a chiropractor with an office on Greene Street and a home nearby, is one of those people. She has had a wonderful view of the Hudson River and New York Harbor for 17 years, but Betro thinks the area can be made even better by developing and connecting several existing parcels of open space that look out at the water.

?It couldn?t be more unique, and this area packs such a punch,? she said.

Betro has been on the board of the Jersey City Waterfront Parks Conservancy since it was founded in 2007. The conservancy?s mission is to create one continuous park from several disparate park areas in the Paulus Hook section, specifically Veterans Park, Colgate Park, Peninsula Park, the southernmost end of Washington Street, and several smaller pieces of land.

To reach that end, the group has been meeting weekly and has vetted 14 architectural firms to come up with a conceptual master plan for a new park.

They also have been raising private money and seeking grants from the state?s Green Acres program. Creating a waterfront park from the smaller open space parcels could cost $25 to $30 million.

The next step is presenting a conceptual master plan for the park, which the group will do at a public meeting this Tuesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. in the east lobby of Portside Towers, 155 Washington St.

The public can check out the conservancy?s website, http://www.jcwpc.org, or e-mail: connecttheparks@gmail.com, for more information.

Unity in the community



Matthew Johnson, a Paulus Hook resident since 2003, is reminded every day of the idea of bringing a park to his Paulus Hook neighborhood, not only as president of the Jersey City Waterfront Parks Conservancy, but also as the father of two children.

?It?s just such a wonderful place to live and raise a family, and the views are tremendous,? Johnson said. ?But the neighborhood need more open space for kids to play and dogs to run around.?

Johnson was hooked at the first community meeting on the proposed park after hearing a presentation by Bill Gray, owner of the Lighthorse Tavern on nearby Washington Street. Since then, the conservancy board has met weekly. They have incorporated their group into a 501?3 non-profit entity, and held community fundraisers and meetings to gauge support and solicit input.

The reason for wanting so much input is that in order for the park to happen, the group has to get cooperation from city, state, county, and private entities that already own land there.

The state has considered plans to develop some of the open space in the area. In the past, they have considered spending $15 million to build out a section of the 18-mile Hudson River Waterfront Walkway that would run through the proposed park area. The state has also considered creating a new Veterans? Park that the conservancy would like to incorporate into their plans.

Lots of work

Tuesday?s initial master plan will be the culmination of the group?s selection process; fourteen top-flight architectural firms from across the country were invited to submit design proposals, with Starr Whitehouse and nArchitects as the chosen firms who designed the plan.

Besides showing where a bridge and other amenities would go, the group will also discuss practical structures, such as retaining walls along the shorefront to stop the ongoing erosion that Johnson has documented in photos.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonrreporter.com.

kudos to the community initiative!

the first draft of the city Parks and Recreation Plan recommended a soccer field and parking for this land....

the final draft that will be going to the Planning Board replaced the soccer field with lawn panels, but retains 50 to 60 parking spaces (not so good).

you can view the final draft plan on the city's website. warning, the plan is a very big pdf.

the Connect the Parks initiative is wonderful and hopefully with the business community involved they can help cut through the city's nonsense and obstruction.

'World class' waterfront park planned

Monday, May 19, 2008
By MEGAN DeMARCO
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City residents may have access to a world-class waterfront park within five years.

The Jersey City Waterfront Park Conservancy, a non-profit group formed at the end of 2007, is working to connect several properties along Jersey City's waterfront to make one contiguous park.

Councilman Steve Fulop said the park would offer spectacular views of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

"It's one opportunity the city and state has to create a world-class park," Fulop said. "There's no other piece of property like it."

The area spans over 10 acres, according to Matthew Johnson, JCWPC president, and includes several parcels of land that are owned by the state, the city, and the property owners association of the Colgate Center.

"Essentially what we're trying to do as an organization is be the entity that pulls this vision together for the community," Johnson said.

Johnson said the JCWPC has considered several park designers, but they've narrowed the list to the final five. He hopes to have the winner picked by July.

Bill Gray, JCWPC treasurer, said the conservancy does not have a preconceived idea of what the park will look like, but is only trying to facilitate the process. Once the park designer is chosen, he said, they'll hold public workshops to discuss ideas.

Gray estimated that the project will cost more than $20 million. He said after a park designer is selected, the JCWPC will go to the city for money, as well as apply for Green Acre grants.The Green Acres program, part of the state Department of Environmental Protection, provides low interest loans and grants to municipal and county governments to acquire open space and develop outdoor recreational facilities.

The state of New Jersey has committed $15 million to complete a 20-mile walkway which will stretch from Hoboken to Bayonne and go around the new park, Fulop said. The walkway is currently 14 miles and ends north of the Goldman Sachs building in Jersey City.

Goldman Sachs is also contributing $1 million which was put away when the building was constructed for the piece of property, Fulop said.

The JCWPC has been fundraising to raise private funds. Scheduled events include a clam bake in June and a "Race for Open Space" in October.

Johnson said issues of maintenance and upkeep for the park will be negotiated among the various property owners later in the process. For now, he said, the focus is on the design.

Gray said if the state contributes money, he hopes construction on the park will begin in the next two years and the park will be completed within five.

"It's a great thing for Jersey City as a whole," Fulop said. "I'm super excited about it."