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Re: Whole Foods in JC?
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Home away from home
 
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The proposed plan is very similar to the P Street WF near DuPont Circle in DC - which is dense and has a lot of carless residents. Parking is the cost of doing business in most cases with WF and let's be honest - as much as you and I would like to pretend otherwise - JC is still more car dependent than it needs to be. Just look at the ShopRite parking lot any weekend day. I like the fact that the surface lot at the projects will disappear. Now, if they could just do the same with the buildings....
Posted on: 2016/7/14 14:29
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Posted on: 2016/7/14 14:11
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Exactly. How many years have people have been whining on JC List about not having a Whole Foods? And now that one is finally coming they whine about a parking deck that by all accounts seems to be tastefully designed. Let's face it, those acres of surface parking at Metropolis Towers are an eyesore and serve to isolate those buildings as islands unto themselves. The redevelopment is an improvement in the downtown streetscape and will no doubt lift the value of properties that have largely been left out of the real-estate boom. A discreet parking deck is a small trade-off, imho.
Posted on: 2016/7/14 13:53
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They are replacing the gigantic parking lot that currently exists with a parking garage on top of a Whole Foods and people are still whining? I guarantee that this was a requirement by the residents of Metropolis Towers - it's not like they're going to agree to a redevelopment plan that gets rid of their parking spaces permanently.
Posted on: 2016/7/14 13:44
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I think the parking deck there is a sensible solution that meets the needs of the residents and Whole Foods. To be viable, they probably need a critical mass of shoppers who don't just live in Downtown JC or within easy reach of mass transit. There are vast swaths of JC that are underserved by mass transit, and those people have cars. Plus Whole Foods is probably hoping to draw people in from surrounding communities like Bayonne and Hoboken. Also, have you seen parents shopping at a supermarket with a couple of kids in tow? Try getting a loaded shopping cart and two small kids across a busy four-lane street like Columbus. I love how people on JC List complain about reckless drivers on Columbus speeding off the Turnpike and creating hazardous conditions for pedestrians on one thread. But suddenly on another thread it's no big deal to ask people - with cumbersome shopping carts - to cross the same hazardous street because it doesn't fit with a certain dogmatic view. Let's just say for argument's sake that WF does use the parking garage at 50 Columbus. In all likelihood, they would have to lengthen the red light at that intersection to allow lots of people with shopping carts and kids enough time to cross safely. What does that do to traffic congestion in that area? I'm also picturing how much more difficult it would be to get all those shopping carts left at 50 Columbus back to WF.
Posted on: 2016/7/14 12:58
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I too hate the idea of the parking deck garage but the residents are losing their parking area and need a place to park their cars and it probably doesn't make sense to build an underground parking area since that area does flood .
Posted on: 2016/7/14 9:55
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Home away from home
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Most Americans in general, or most people who live in cities? Extremely different behavior sets. I never have more than 3-4 bags because I live in a city and walk to the store. Instead of going every 2 weeks I go once a week.
Posted on: 2016/7/14 4:28
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They have the bargaining power, and I'm sure this was their idea. They don't want their customers going down the street with carts. When most people go food shopping, they get more than 2-4 bags.
Posted on: 2016/7/14 4:15
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This is simply an exaggeration. The lot at 50 Columbus is literally across the street! Also, WF could offer parking validation for those with cars, as they do in other city locations, like in Portland. One could easily walk across the street with two, three or four bags to carry to one's car.
Posted on: 2016/7/14 2:41
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The lot at grove pointe is now more and more crowded during the day because they lowered their rates tremendously to spur usage. I have friends from Livingston who drive to Grove and park there because it is so cheap, that it is more convenient and cheaper for them to do that. In any case, the lot is never full. The one at 50 Columbus is also partly empty with plenty of spots.
Posted on: 2016/7/14 2:38
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I'm not opposed to the WF having its own parking lot, or to parking lots in general. How could I!? I own too many vehicles to not rely on lots. My point is that there are two lots right across from this WF location (one closer than the other) and anyone coming to this WF location with a car could park at one of those two lots. Whole Foods could make this easy for people with cars by validating their tickets. They do this in other cities around the country. They do not need to have their own lot. At all.
Posted on: 2016/7/14 2:35
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Not to mention it's simply idiotic to think that people driving to a Whole Foods will park their car in a parking garage (paying for parking at a grocery store) located at least a block away. So you'll have a constant stream of people crossing the street with shopping carts to get to the garage(s)?
Opposition to the WF parking garage really exposes the anti-car at all costs people vs. those who actually want improved streetscapes and a better urban environment. As Dr. Nick said, the parking will be located above the ground floor, so pedestrians can still have an engaging commercial space. I don't like sidewalks filled with parking garages either, and this WF design is an excellent example of how to do it right.
Posted on: 2016/7/13 21:20
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I have no idea about the parking situation in 50 columbus but I can say that every time I have parked in the grove path building you have to go almost to the roof to get a spot.... not sure where these rumors of it being unused come from.
perhaps at night its different but 9-5 working days it is pretty packed in there from my perspective
Posted on: 2016/7/13 21:06
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How do we know this was really up to the city? Perhaps planners did want to shelve parking or severely restrict it, but Whole Foods is very, very picky and has strict requirements for the places they pick. For example, the WF in Gowanus is relatively new and encircled by a huge surface level parking lot and that area has a comparable density to DTJC. If WF pushes back against parking restrictions and walks, the city doesn't get its high end grocer and you still have a populous clamoring for better grocery options. Personally, while I don't like all the extra parking, I don't mind it so much if it's well hidden and NOT on the ground floor, so we can still have an engaging commercial space. Too many projects have gone up with parking smack on the ground floor, forever eliminating the chance to have useful retail or something else there.
Posted on: 2016/7/13 19:40
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You need to escape your bubble and realize that most people need cars, especially when going to the grocery store. No chance in hell to get any kind of major grocer in DTJC without plenty of parking.
Posted on: 2016/7/13 17:44
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Home away from home
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I wonder when, if ever, Jersey City will realize that it's a city and start behaving that way, instead of constantly shoehorning itself into a car-first midwestern satellite city-suburb.
Posted on: 2016/7/13 17:10
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Home away from home
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Um, yes? It's a dense as hell city and this location is on top of a subway station. There is no need for parking, especially with other (empty) garages on the same block. How much parking is allotted for the Trader Joe's in Brooklyn Heights? That's a neighborhood with similar density and similar % of car ownership to DTJC.
Posted on: 2016/7/13 17:08
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Home away from home
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2014/8/19 16:35 Last Login : 2019/1/12 22:36 From the village
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Normally I would agree with you, but this is a grocery store. Do you intend to see folks walking across those major roadways with shopping bags in tow or pushing their carts to these other lots and then returning those same carts to the store?
Posted on: 2016/7/13 16:23
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I do love creative architectural dreaming, but this idea is one of the most ludicrous I've ever read:
"One major obstacle of this walkway is that it dissects the existing eastern tower. In an effort to avoid walking around the building, the architect proposed having the walkway cut through the middle of the building by demolishing the current lobby. Pedestrians on the path could then walk right through the building." And, not that it matters, but this presentation and several others have referred to the Metropolis Towers site as the first urban renewal project of its type. New York, Chicago and probably other cities had projects that pre-dated this one. Again, nobody cares except me.
Posted on: 2016/7/13 16:11
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I'm surprised no one has chimed in about the FIVE LEVELS of parking integrated into the building. That's a parking lot across from another (the one at 50 Columbus, which is usually mostly empty) and across the street diagonally from another parking lot (the one at Grove Pointe) that is usually somewhat empty, as well. I thought we were trying to move away from the idea of reliance on cars and towards more pedestrian friendly concepts. In any case, I think it also speaks volumes that neither the Planning Board, nor Traffic Department, seem to think that traffic in the area is already a chaotic mess. WTF?
Posted on: 2016/7/13 15:36
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Jersey City Up Front has an article posted today regarding details of the planned Whole Foods space:
http://www.jerseycityupfront.com/neig ... ullboy-expands-food-menu/ *edit* Link to the original article on Jersey Digs: http://jerseydigs.com/whole-foods-met ... owers-jersey-city-update/
Posted on: 2016/7/13 14:40
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I didn't get as far as 24:10, but this is a pretty interesting presentation (okay "interesting" in a nerdy way), and it's a great lesson for a lot of newcomers on what JC was like just a short time ago. Remember when the Morris Canal basin was littered with abandoned barges??
Posted on: 2016/6/10 13:35
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Home away from home
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If you want to see what the City has planned for the Metropolis Towers site check out the below presentation. Content on Metropolis Towers begins at 17:50, though no mention is made of Whole Foods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWhOdnQ8NkI Also, for an additional chuckle go to 24:10 to enjoy an execrable short video starring Fulop awkwardly plugging some sort of virtual reality planning app. Prepare to crank the cringe factor up to 11!
Posted on: 2016/6/8 19:16
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You must be new to JC...
Posted on: 2016/5/23 12:58
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Newbie
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Like many here, I am anxiously anticipating the opening of 99 Ranch since I live in the area- so much so that I sent them an e-mail inquiring about their opening date as their website indicates a summer opening. They replied (quite quickly too) that they anticipate a February 2017 opening. What could possibly be taking them so long?!
Posted on: 2016/5/22 22:08
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Ok, what about this article did you find interesting? I found all of the points particularly weak.
Posted on: 2016/5/6 20:48
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Home away from home
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Posted on: 2016/5/6 20:41
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Not too shy to talk
 
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I've lived in Metropolis towers for six years. They certainly could use a renovation!
Posted on: 2016/5/6 19:31
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I was not advocating for the demolition of the Metropolis towers, silly. More so for development of the excessive surface parking surrounding the building. Why not have residential and offices uses rising above the Whole Foods site? Why does it have to be a single use with a parking garage. If I was a member of the co-op, I would be jumping at this opportunity due to the potential to generate millions for the co-op off the land lease to pay for renovations\upgrades of the existing common areas and possibly reduce assessments for years to come. As a resident of Jersey City, that's always been a odd site which kills the urban feel of the area. From the outside, it looks like a public housing complex. A little greenspace and improvements would go a long way into better integrating the towers with the city. Are the co-op owners that crusty to want to have their buildings sit in a sea of parking rather than see development? Serious question.
Posted on: 2016/5/6 19:25
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Maybe the entrance for cars will be off Montgomery and people off Columbus, that might make the most sense.
Posted on: 2016/5/6 19:05
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