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Re: Why is no-one in the Heights promoting development?
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Home away from home
 
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The Heights is a very late bloomer - I don't understand why. The secret is out now, however. In the past two years I've noticed big changes - old single-story homes are being town down and replaced with modern triplexes. New restaurants, bars, cafes, and retail shops are opening up. Existing ones are being renovated. The velocity of the change seems to be increasing every spring.
It's a great community, that's safe for the most part (the few exceptions are the areas around the Palisades, but that too is rapidly improving). It's very affordable with decent one bedroom apartments renting for $1,100 or less. There is great access to transit, and a strong vibrant community. I can easily see the Heights becoming highly desirable for not just Jersey City but the whole NYC region. There are folks promoting development in the heights as evident with the new Central Avenue Redevelopment Plan in the works. It will fill many of the vacant lots, and there is already a plan to replace the Burger King site with a sixteen story mixed-use building. The one downside is the Heights is probably going to gentrify really quickly, which will lead to widespread displacement of longtime residents. Low lying areas like Hoboken flood frequently and the problem is only going to get worse with climate change. There are some folks that will be in for a shock when the realities of non-subsidized flood insurance premiums kick in. It's only a matter of time before the money living and operating businesses in flood prone areas realize it's better to be on high ground. So I hope when the inevitable rezonings come, I hope and pray it includes provisions for affordable housing to allow existing Jersey City residents to stay within their communities. There are folks, manly on Ogden Ave and the surrounding streets, that are fighting any zoning change which increases density of the area. Keeping the existing zoning is problematic for the reasons previously stated. The lack of new housing supply is going to drive up rents. The Central Avenue Redevelopment Plan will increase density for that strip only, but I imagine it won't be the last for the heights. I guess it all depends on whether Councilman Yun is supportive.
Posted on: 2016/1/13 16:42
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Re: Why is no-one in the Heights promoting development?
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Home away from home
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What you have is a "lock it in amber" mentality around here, exemplified by Yvonne's "change nothing!" mentality. Every change from building the tunnel Home Depot to the Grove plaza to the high density tower on Bright gets hysteria and end of the world predictions. I've watched a number of properties do what you had to, rebuild while pretending to renovate, leaving not one original stick left. One place on 7th doubled the footprint and raised the ceilings of every floor, but remained a 4 floor 4U by doing these backflips.
Posted on: 2016/1/13 16:25
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Re: Why is no-one in the Heights promoting development?
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Home away from home
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Tell me about it... The property I live in should have been torn down (would have been cheaper and easier to build new). I couldn't though because my multi-unit building would have to be rebuilt as one of those 2 family vinyl sided abominations. So I rebuilt the building as a 4 family. It was a 5, but I had to bring it down to a 4 in order to avoid rent control. There is a mind set that density = slums (I mean wow.. look at the "horror" of the upper east side of Manhattan) which seems to dominate urban planning now days. I want to bang my head against the wall in frustration when some politician talks about building 'affordable housing' yet pushes zoning that prevents it from being built. If I was allowed to put up a multi-unit building with 2 bedrooms for under $1,200 a month, I would have an occupancy rate of over 90%.. even during a recession.
Posted on: 2016/1/13 13:55
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Re: Why is no-one in the Heights promoting development?
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Home away from home
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Agreed, the R-1 "suburban" zoning is a disaster. I was here when it was implemented but I guess I wasn't paying attention. A neighbor property on a 50x100 double lot was demoed, a 20 unit could have been put there without getting out of scale, but 2 of the cookie cutter pink brick 2 families were what were built.
Posted on: 2016/1/12 23:58
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Re: Why is no-one in the Heights promoting development?
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Home away from home
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There is commercial development by me. One finished and another in progress.
One issue with the Heights is so much of it is zoned R-1. R-1 is awful if you want to build a place that would fill what (I think) is the biggest market here: 1 and 2 bedroom apartments ranging between $900 to $1,500 a month. You can't make money with apartment at that price range with a only a two family home to rent.
Posted on: 2016/1/12 23:20
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Re: Why is no-one in the Heights promoting development?
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Home away from home
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There's a idea of RE tax theory that says property should be taxed by the lot only rather than lot+improvements, because the latter encourages the holding of unimproved property. Seem silly to me since then a house is taxed the same as a high rise on the same sized lot.
Posted on: 2016/1/12 21:30
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Re: Why is no-one in the Heights promoting development?
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Home away from home
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While I am sure you are correct in your assessment of the (lack of) leadership at the Heights, that still doesn't account or explain all the properties that often sit vacant or unsold. I know from prior conversations with people in the BeLa neighborhood that many were holding on to unrealistic expectations of the amount they could or should get for their dilapidated properties. During the heady days of the real estate bubble, people were paying silly money for all kinds of properties and lots. Those stories were in the papers and TV and lost of people started to dream of future riches. I had heard it from several people in the neighborhood that they wanted "a million dollars" for their properties, which were often worthy of being razed and which sat in an area of town which hasn't yet gentrified. No amount of reasoning would get those people to see or understand that they were being unreasonable. So, yes, I am sure your assessment is correct that the city could or should do more to help improvements in The Heights, but it is up to individual homeowners to decide to sell a property they own, but that's not going to happen if they are demanding exorbitant prices that are not in line with reality.
Posted on: 2016/1/12 19:50
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Re: Why is no-one in the Heights promoting development?
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Home away from home
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As far as I can tell it's because the ward has had terrible leadership. Gaughan was a disaster of do-nothing except line his and his family's pockets, Yun is only concerned with his Central Ave business district. I've heard he has actively impeded commercial activity development on Palisade.
Those properties are unlikely "abandoned", just warehoused investments, like the parking lots all over DTJC & Manhattan that are now construction sites.
Posted on: 2016/1/12 19:19
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Why is no-one in the Heights promoting development?
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Home away from home
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This article inspired me to ask this - and I don't intend it to be a rhetorical question, even if there are no answers - http://streeteasy.com/blog/streeteasy ... -nyc-housing-predictions/
Admittedly, most of the neighborhoods mentioned in the article are on subway lines with 24/7 access to Manhattan, some of them are really far out - much further than the Heights, and without access to amenities like the riverfront, DTJC, that this neighborhood does. I've lived here 7 years, and it still boggles my mind to see abandoned buildings - some of them with views of the Manhattan skyline! - or right on major bus routes. Is it property owners who don't see any possibilities? A mayor with his eyes on other constituents? The zoning? From many perspectives, it seems the Heights could certainly give Midwood, Brooklyn and Jamaica, Queens a run for it's money as a smart place to develop.
Posted on: 2016/1/12 18:48
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