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Toll Brother's Travesty in the PAD |
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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
Posted on: 2007/4/10 10:03
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Re: Toll Brother's Travesty in the PAD |
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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.
Posted on: 2007/4/11 8:52
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Re: Toll Brother's Travesty in the PAD |
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Quote:
Is this a joke?
Posted on: 2007/4/11 9:51
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Re: Toll Brother's Travesty in the PAD |
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Newbie
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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.
Posted on: 2007/4/11 10:03
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Re: Toll Brother's Travesty in the PAD |
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Thanks for the explanation. If so, I agree.
Posted on: 2007/4/11 10:09
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Re: Toll Brother's Travesty in the PAD |
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Quite a regular
 
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are there pictures of the historic part online somewhere?
Posted on: 2007/4/11 10:29
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Re: Toll Brother's Travesty in the PAD |
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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
Posted on: 2007/4/11 12:15
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Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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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 .
Posted on: 2007/6/18 10:11
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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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
Posted on: 2007/6/18 18:00
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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More proof that Healy should not be in charge.
Posted on: 2007/6/19 1:24
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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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. Page 1 2 3 4 5 NEXT PAGE > http://www.thestreet.com/_tscrss/news ... /realestate/10362133.html
Posted on: 2007/6/19 1:29
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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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.
Posted on: 2007/6/19 9:35
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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!
Posted on: 2007/6/19 9:43
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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PADNA has a legal fund. You can donate there.
http://www.padnajc.org/Keeping_the_PAD.html Check it out.
Posted on: 2007/6/19 10:09
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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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:
Posted on: 2007/6/19 12:01
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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after uncle joes left who cares. knock it down and build it new. those buildings are awful and unless we forgot.. that was a total waste land less then 4 years ago. I do like the cobble stone street though. can we get them to just preserve that street after they repair it. I took pictures of the area for the archives.
Posted on: 2007/6/19 13:20
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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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: I do like the cobble stone street though. can we get them to just preserve that street after they repair it. I took pictures of the area for the archives. 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.
Posted on: 2007/6/19 22:51
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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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.
Posted on: 2007/6/19 22:55
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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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.
Posted on: 2007/6/20 8:04
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Sort of a shame that Healy can't be impeached. Now I see why Cunningham was despised by the Democratic machine.
Posted on: 2007/6/20 9:35
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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)
Posted on: 2007/10/10 13:47
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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.
Posted on: 2007/10/10 14:16
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Here is the issue that is to be voted on by the Planning board on Tuesday October 16th:
In a case of breathtaking speed, Toll Brothers is presenting to the Planning Board on Tuesday, October 16, 5:30pm at Council Chambers, City Hall a mere 2 weeks after submitting major amendment proposals to the Planning Department! Final action may be taken. Toll's Plan guts the heart of the PAD by incorporating three wall-like towers, endangering two existing warehouses, reducing the number of live/work units, eliminating affordable housing for artists and reducing the amount of open space required by the PAD Plan. View the visualization of the PAD vs. Toll Plans Read Toll's proposed amendment to the PAD plan http://padnajc.org/uploads/amendment.pdf Show your opposition to the Toll Plan and have your comments put on the record by attending the Planning Board meeting: There is a need for donations and petition signing: Help us get the petition signed. Click here to download the petition, print it out, sign it, get your friends and neighbors to sign it. The download also contains a document outlining the major differences between the PAD and TOLL plans and an explanation of why you should sign the petition. PADNA has established a legal fund to help fight this battle. Every dollar counts and right now every dollar counts twice thanks to a generous matching donation. Just enter your donation amount in the box below and click DONATE. You will then be taken to PayPal to finish the transaction, If you don't want to make a donation online, feel free to bring a check or money order to the Planning Board meeting, give it to a PADNA board member or mail it to PADNA, PO Box 3834, Jersey City, NJ 07303-3834 http://www.padnajc.org/ Quote:
Posted on: 2007/10/11 23:20
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It is a shame that the people of Jersey City elect such lame officials, who in my opinion see their job as serving the devleopers.
Posted on: 2007/10/12 10:46
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The Powerhouse Arts District: Neighborhood misses the artist's touch |
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Neighborhood misses the artist's touch
Wednesday, November 07, 2007 BY RUSSELL BEN-ALI Star-Ledger Staff For decades, the warehouses in Jersey City's former industrial hub sat neglected or underused -- forlorn reminders of the city's historic role in manufacturing, transport, trade and labor. But as a recent housing boom exploded in neighborhoods around these warehouses, plans emerged to refurbish them into artists' lofts. Developers, city planners, local artists and residents hammered out a rocky truce for a redevelopment plan. The Powerhouse Arts District -- taking its name from a mammoth, abandoned brick relic of the industrial age -- would be something special. Located in an immensely valuable stretch of land a few blocks from the Hudson River, it would be a haven for artists, preserving red brick warehouses and housing a theater, concert hall or gallery rivaling anything in New Jersey. But the developers balked at the plan and now, after many legal battles, controversy has returned. Critics argue the latest plans are wildly out of scale -- huge, modern high-rises with little respect for the historic character of the cobblestone streets and century-old buildings that remain. City officials are backing developer Toll Brothers City Living on a proposal to turn the eight-block area into a taller, more densely built "bridge" between the new waterfront high-rises and the historic rowhouses to the west. "Let's not get defined by what's there," said Robert P. Antonicello, director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, who laid out the questions he would like to see answered by new development. "How do we think out of the box, and how do we create something that the city actually needs?" When it comes to entertainment and shopping, many Jersey City residents head to suburban retail, entertainment and performing arts centers, or else to nearby Manhattan. "At the end of the day, what Jersey City lacks, what it used to have (was) a central stage in Journal Square," Antonicello said. "It had a place where the city 'recreated,' it had a place where on special holidays people went." An effort to restore such a hub is already under way in Journal Square, where the Loews Jersey movie palace, which features live music and art shows, is being restored. Officials want another retail and entertainment anchor in the city, which was once a shopping mecca, one that's closer to downtown and the tens of thousands of waterfront residential units under construction or built over the last two decades. They see potential for another anchor in the Powerhouse Arts District, with its proximity to the water, the PATH and Bergen-Hudson Light Rail. The area is named for an imposing 210-foot-tall historic structure, the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse on Washington Boulevard. At the foot of the vacant, contaminated building sits a key power supply for the PATH trains. The city is currently in talks with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to relocate the transformer so the powerhouse can be renovated and converted into space for retail, arts and entertainment, restaurants and galleries, said city Corporate Counsel William Matsikoudis. Three years ago, the area was approved as an arts district after more than a decade of talks and planning. But that has changed. ARTISTS FIRST TO GO First, a colony of artists was driven from 111 First Street, a hulking warehouse that has since been demolished by two Manhattan developers headed by Lloyd Goldman. The developers plan to build a 52-story "vertical city" of condos, art studios, a hotel, stores and a gallery -- all designed by famed Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. In addition, the Toll proposal calls for three residential high-rises, each taller than permitted by the existing plan, with luxury condominiums, pools and gyms, as well as residential and work spaces reserved for artists. The plan will preserve the facade of the old six-story Manischewitz factory building on Provost Street, home to one of the last industrial buildings to be used in the district. The matzo-baking firm that occupied the factory moved to Newark earlier this year. The proposal includes plans for Provost Square, a 25,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza. Benjamin D. Jogodnik, a Toll Brothers senior vice president, said the arts-oriented plaza will be surrounded by shops, cafés and galleries. But the square's big draw is a 550-seat performing arts center, as well as classrooms, studios and rehearsal space available to local arts and performance groups. Some residents oppose the plan, however, having invested in a neighborhood they had hoped would be more SoHo than Times Square. They argue the 111 First St. battle established a precedent favoring the gigantic over the historic, and they note the plan calls for the dismantling of Provost Street, one of the few remaining cobblestone thoroughfares. "The feeling now is if you have enough money, you can build whatever you want, and the current laws and current plans are thrown out the window in favor of the biggest interest," said Carrie Craft-Chu, a clothier and condo association president at 140 Bay St., the first converted warehouse in the district. The amended plan also is opposed by the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy and the Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association. City officials argue, however, that their plan benefits all city residents. "It wasn't just for the eight blocks," city Planning Director Robert D. Cotter. "It was to be a place to come and enjoy the arts, and that involves a whole broad spectrum." Russell Ben-Ali may be reached at rbenali@starledger.com or (973) 392-5807. http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/ ... 980.xml&coll=1&thispage=2
Posted on: 2007/11/7 8:34
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Powerhouse Arts District: Vision evolves for 8 blocks of Downtown |
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Vision evolves for 8 blocks of Downtown
Saturday, November 10, 2007 By RUSSELL BEN-ALI NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICE For decades, the warehouses in Jersey City's former industrial hub sat neglected or underused - forlorn reminders of the city's historic role in manufacturing, transport, trade and labor. But as a recent housing boom exploded in neighborhoods around these warehouses, plans emerged to refurbish them into artists' lofts. Developers, city planners, local artists and residents hammered out a rocky truce for a redevelopment plan. The Powerhouse Arts District - taking its name from a mammoth, abandoned brick relic of the industrial age - would be something special. Located in an immensely valuable stretch of land a few blocks from the Hudson River, it would be a haven for artists, preserving red brick warehouses and housing a theater, concert hall or gallery rivaling anything in New Jersey. But the developers balked at the plan and now, after many legal battles, critics argue the latest plans are wildly out of scale - huge, modern high-rises with little respect for the historic character of the cobblestone streets. City officials are backing developer Toll Brothers City Living on a proposal to turn the eight-block area into a taller, more densely built "bridge" between the new waterfront high-rises and the historic rowhouses to the west. When it comes to entertainment and shopping, many Jersey City residents head to suburban retail, entertainment and performing arts centers, or else to nearby Manhattan. Officials want a retail and entertainment anchor in the city, which was once a shopping mecca, and one that's closer to Downtown. They see potential for another anchor in the Powerhouse Arts District, with its proximity to the PATH and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. Three years ago, the area was approved as an arts district after more than a decade of talks and planning. But that has changed. First, a colony of artists was driven from 111 First St., a hulking warehouse that has since been demolished by two Manhattan developers headed by Lloyd Goldman. The developers plan to build a 52-story "vertical city" of condos, art studios, a hotel, stores and a gallery - all designed by famed Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. In addition, the Toll proposal calls for three residential high-rises, each taller than permitted by the existing plan, with luxury condominiums, pools and gyms, as well as residential and work spaces reserved for artists. The plan will preserve the facade of the old six-story Manischewitz factory building on Provost Street. The proposal includes plans for Provost Square, a 25,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza. Benjamin D. Jogodnik, a Toll Brothers senior vice president, said the arts-oriented plaza would be surrounded by shops, cafés and galleries and a 550-seat performing arts center. Some residents oppose the plan, however, having invested in a neighborhood they had hoped would be more SoHo than Times Square. The amended plan also is opposed by the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy and the Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association. City officials argue, however, that their plan benefits all city residents.
Posted on: 2007/11/10 5:24
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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What's the latest on this? What is Toll Brothers going to do?
Posted on: 2007/11/14 17:00
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Re: Chairman of Newmark ALIGNS WITH PADNA to Prevent Toll Bros. Destruction |
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the hearing was adjourned to November 27th and the developer was to meet with the neighborhood association. Unfortunately and par for the course, City Planning did not participate leaving private citizens to negotiate with the developer on their own.
lets hope for a surprise and that the Planning Board recommends against it before the application goes to City Council. Ted Brunson, Jr. and the Historic Commission, after numerous forced recusals of the chair and commissioners, stood up to the owner of 111 First St, their attorneys threats, insults and nastiness to reject the the demolition application. Let hope that the Planning Board can show some of the same courage and leadership as the public's representitives and reject these proposed changes. The public will likely be given an opportunity to speak. Come down to the meeting and tell the Planning Board what the pubic wants. Quote:
Posted on: 2007/11/14 19:51
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PADNA vs. Toll: Planning Brd Final, Wed, Jan 16 |
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Planning Board Decision To Be Made Wednesday, January 16
As you all know the PADNA vs. Toll issue was held over from the last Planning Board meeting on 11/27 until Wednesday, January 16th. This special session of the planning board will be held Wednesday, January 16th 5:30 p.m. sharp Middle School #4 107 Bright Street, Auditorium (Between Jersey Ave & Varick St. Enter through iron gate on left side then straight through main doors. Auditorium is on the left as you enter) Wheelchair and Handicapped accessible (201)946-5740 A DECISION WILL BE MADE AT THIS MEETING! It is again imperative that you all come, bring your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues. We filled the Council Chambers at the Courthouse, let's fill the auditorium at Middle School #4 and show the Planning Board and the City Council our support of the PAD Plan. See our site for more info: http://www.padnajc.org/ Click Here for MS#4 - Parking and Public Transportation Information Maps Local Parking Area parking is zoned. There is a two hour limit on cars without a Zone 1permit. Local Streets are subject to alternate side of the street parking. Street cleaning takes place either 8:00 - 10:00AM OR 10:00 - 12:00AM, please note the signs. There is a school parking lot located on Jersey Avenue across from the hospital. (see the map on page 2) The Frank R. Conwell Campus is easily accessible by Light Rail via the Jersey Avenue stop.
Posted on: 2008/1/10 3:14
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Toll Brothers Manischewitz building plan OK'd *********************************************** This will not only set a precedent of threats against all historic districts in Jersey City but this classic example of facadism and destruction of the cobblestones will erase a major part of the history of downtown Jersey City's industrial beginning. Your next chance to speak out against this travesty will be before the City Council and we will post here when it is scheduled for 1st reading. During the meantime contact all the council persons and the Mayor about how you want them to deny the Toll Brothers 30 story megaliths and it's facadism! Stay tuned. The PAD is home to over 500 residents with more than $200 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. *********************************************** ![Open in new window](javascript:CaricaFoto("http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/logoprinter.gif");) July 15, 1985 'FACADISM' ON THE RISE: PRESERVATION OR ILLUSION? By PAUL GOLDBERGER If the Landmarks Preservation Commission agrees, before long there will be a 19-story apartment tower squeezed behind the facades of a trio of old brownstones on East 79th Street just off Park Avenue. The brownstone fronts will remain, essentially as false fronts behind which the new tower will rise. If this unusual hybrid building goes ahead, however, it may not be the only such structure in New York: the commission has already given its nod to a much larger, but essentially similar, building, a 57-story tower designed to slip behind the facades of the landmark Rizzoli and Coty buildings on Fifth Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets. The two buildings were both planned by distinguished architectural firms -Conklin Rossant at 79th Street and Kohn Pederson Fox at Fifth Avenue. Though neither is ideal, both designs follow the current fashion of integrating distinct historical elements into a larger whole, and they are both among the more sophisticated essays in this eclectic style. Used in Other Cities But the quality of the proposed towers is beside the point. They raise a larger issue, the whole matter of ''facadism,'' as the business of saving the fronts but scooping out the backs of landmark buildings has come to be called. It is a way of building that is new to New York, but which already is relatively common in other cities, especially Washington, where it has served as a frequent means of detente between preservationists and developers. For facadism holds out a great temptation - it seems, on the surface, to give both sides what they want. The small, older buildings valued by preservationists appear to be saved, while the large new ones developers seek can still be built. But while facadism pretends to a certain earnestness, it is at bottom rather pernicious. For the compromise it represents is not really preservation at all. To save only the facade of a building is not to save its essence; it is to turn the building into a stage set, into a cute toy intended to make a skyscraper more palatable. And the street becomes a kind of Disneyland of false fronts. A Case in Point The Fifth Avenue project is a good case in point. The proposed tower is to be built behind one of Fifth Avenue's great blocks, a superb row of early 20th-century commercial buildings that includes the structure at No. 714 with three floors of windows by Rene Lalique, the great French artisan in glass, and the 712 Fifth Avenue building that until recently housed the offices and bookshop of Rizzoli, the Italian publisher. These buildings, along with the pleasant, small building that once housed the Custom Shirt Shop, the marble-faced structure of Harry Winston, the jeweler, and the brownstone Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, together form one of the only completely intact, older blocks of Fifth Avenue, a street that has always had a remarkable combination of grandeur and modest scale. For years, this block has been as important to Fifth Avenue's ambiance as Rockefeller Center - and it is all the more so now, in the years since the avenue's scale has been so brutally shattered by insensitive, larger buildings like Olympic Tower at 51st Street. The developers - a partnership of Solomon Equities, G. Ware Travelstead and First Boston Corporation -originally proposed razing the Rizzoli, Coty and Custom Shop buildings and erecting in their place a skyscraper essentially like the one now proposed. But when the city, over the developers' objections, declared the buildings landmarks, the developers sent the architect William Pederson back to his drawing board to come up with a compromise in which they could save the landmarks and still get their tower. That is the current plan, which calls for the tower to be shoved 50 feet back from Fifth Avenue and for the Lalique glass in the facade of the Coty Building to become the front wall of an atrium that would serve as the tower's entry. The old buildings would become, literally, a doormat for the tower, a small stoop cowering before a ponderous skyscraper of entirely different scale. The Landmarks Preservation Commission, perhaps eager to appear flexible, has approved the plan. But some civic groups, led by the Municipal Art Society, have continued to object to the project as a violation of the spirit of the city's landmarks law. The building still has one political hurdle to clear, for zoning variances it requires will need the approval of the city's Board of Standards and Appeals. Plans for 18-Story Tower The situation has become more complex still by the announcement by Harry Winston, the jeweler, of a further instance of facadism - a plan to erect an 18-story tower on top of its building on the corner of 56th Street. That tower is being planned only because Winston's owners and the developers of the larger tower could not agree on a price for the air rights over the Winston building, which the developers had hoped to use to make the big tower bigger still. Some observers of the real-estate industry speculate that the Winston project may be only a bluff, intended to intensify the negotiations for Winston's air rights - but the fact that it could be planned at all surely proves the extent to which the smaller buildings on Fifth Avenue have become pawns in the game of large-scale real estate. And that is the problem - small buildings like the ones on this Fifth Avenue block are pawns, not active players. No matter how good they are as works of architecture, they do not have the economic strength to be treated as essential parts of the cityscape, and as a result they are valued mainly as sentimental objects. This attitude may be better than treating small, older buildings with total indifference, but it is still not enough to make a civilized city. For the whole point is that buildings such as the ones on this Fifth Avenue block, or the brownstone facades on East 79th Street, are not sentimental objects; they are real buildings. Distant Relationships For the city is not a place of make-believe, a place of illusion where little buildings exist to be pinned, like brooches, on the front of bigger structures to which they bear only the most distant of relationships. To turn an older building of distinction into a fancy front door for a new tower is to respect neither the integrity of the new or that of the old, but to render both buildings, in a sense, ridiculous. For in these cases both the new and the old are trapped in something that neither building was really intended to be part of. At its most extreme, this approach yields such absurdities as the block of Pennsylvania Avenue between 20th and 21st Streets in Washington, where a row of Victorian houses has been tacked, like wallpaper, onto the front of a sleek glass office block, a juxtaposition that manages the neat trick of making both the old and the new sections seem equally out of place. This is not to say that there are not cases in which old and new construction cannot be combined successfully. Also in Washington, there is a complex on M Street in which new office wings have been discreetly inserted behind old brick houses. But this works because it is not really facadism as such - the old houses here remain as buildings, partners with the new wings. That is not what is planned for Fifth Avenue in New York, where it really is little more than the facades that will remain. The setback of 50 feet that has been planned for the Fifth Avenue tower may be sufficient to create a modest atrium, but it is hardly enough to keep the skyscraper from bearing down on the older buildings. And on East 79th Street, the setback of the tower would be only 15 feet. So this tower, though far smaller than the one proposed for midtown, will also overwhelm the old facades at its front. It is true, however, that in this particular case the architects had no option of complete preservation, for the major portion of these brownstones was demolished some time ago, and now only the facades remain. But that still does not make idea of tucking a 19-story tower just behind the facades a comfortable one, or a wise precedent. Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
Posted on: 2008/1/16 21:50
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JC's planning board=Toll Bro's Lap Dogs! |
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Starbucks and Chase Bank are on their way! Tonite the JC planning board rolled over and handed the Powerhouse dist to Toll Brothers on a silver platter. One member commented on going to Baltimore to their "Powerhouse" ...
IT'S A BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSTORE! So much for art and creative thinking. It's a discrace! How many more ugly glass and metal towers to we need? But the board was kind enough to let us keep the cobblestones, just wait to some vapid gal from LA trips on them on her way to see TwitBrit in "Sweet Charity" at the Toll Brothers Playhouse and those too will be gone quicker than you can say "Tall Latte". 
Posted on: 2008/1/16 21:50
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Re: JC's planning board=Toll Bro's Lap Dogs! |
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Can you clarify that? Cordish (sp?) is the developer of the Baltimore Powerhouse, not Toll Brothers. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the meeting tonight (doesn't seem like it would've made a difference) because I was working at home. On another note- Starbucks was already on their way- sign in Grove Point building. Signed, A (not terribly surprised yet still pissed off) resident of the PAD.
Posted on: 2008/1/16 23:12
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Bob Cotter, JC's Director of Planning, folded like a deck of cards last night and was wearing black sweatpants. Thank God he is retiring. I wonder what the Toll Brothers ponied up for his 'about face.' Pathetic! Good riddance Bobby now get down to Miami.
Posted on: 2008/1/17 8:08
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Bob Cotter was bought and paid for by Joe Panepinto long ago. Joe Panepinto, of Panepinto Properties, who was disbarred 25 years ago for bank fraud and laundering. He taught Bob how the system "works" in Jersey City. Now Joe has given Bob Torricelli a peice of Panepinto Properties for all his years of service. I wonder which project Bob Cotters going to be partners in?
Posted on: 2008/1/17 9:58
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I think it was inevitable that the Toll Bros. plan was approved, although I do agree that the buildings are too tall. But I still wonder why the artists feel that they are entitled to "set asides"?
Posted on: 2008/1/17 9:59
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Unanimous approval for Toll Brothers plan - OK for 3 towers in arts district - 30, 35 and 40 stories |
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OK for 3 towers in arts district
Thursday, January 17, 2008 By CHARLES HACK JOURNAL STAFF WRITER The Jersey City Planning Board last night gave its unanimous approval to the Toll Brothers plan to build three high-rise towers around the Manischewitz property in the Powerhouse Arts District, pleasing developers but disappointing artists and conservationists. In voting 8-0 to recommend that the City Council approve an amendment to the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan that would allow for building residential towers of 30, 35 and 40 stories, it determined the proposal is consistent with the Jersey City Master Plan. "We worked very hard on the project and are obviously very pleased with the decision," said James C. McCann, attorney for Toll Brothers. "I think it will change the Powerhouse Arts District in a good way." Toll Brothers is offering to build a 550-seat performing arts theater with gallery space and 25,000-square-foot Provost Square in return for allowing it to build 950 apartments in the three high-rise towers, and for the right to knock down two warehouses and all but the façade of the former Manischewitz plant. The builder ould also be allowed to dedicate less housing to artist's live/work spaces. The decision left around 70 members of Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association and other preservation groups which turned up at Middle School 4 on Bright Street last night disappointed but vowing to fight on. "We have nothing against the plaza, but at what cost?" asked Jill Edelman, president of the Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association, after the meeting. "We bought into a very specific plan, which we have seen succeed, and we are the beneficiaries of that success." There was no public comment at the meeting, but a few shouted their objections to the Planning Board. Toll Brothers and the Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association made their opposing presentations at a five-hour meeting in November. The neighborhood association did, however, win one small victory when the developer said he would reuse Provost Street cobblestones in the plaza - but not old railway tracks. Under the proposal, Toll Brothers can market 10 percent of the housing to "working families" rather than artists for the first 180 days after the units are built. Half of those could be built off site. Just 12 units will comply with requirement for live-and-work loft space, and one of those will be dedicated to artists. Robert Cotter, director of the Planning Department, spoke in favor of the plan, saying that it would create a vibrant theater and arts district.
Posted on: 2008/1/17 10:27
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Cordish was the developer of the Baltimore powerhouse, and is the assigned developer of the Jersey City powerhouse, but other than being the namesake for the neighborhood, the Powerhouse has nothing to do with Toll Brothers' towers. Cordish is addicted to powerhouse conversions; besides Baltimore they did one in Richmond.
http://retailtrafficmag.com/development/retail_power_plants/ I would love for a local Barnes and Noble. A local branch of The Strand would be better, but still. Retail may not be a noble use of the powerhouse, but it least it will bring life back to the building.
Posted on: 2008/1/17 10:37
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Is this Barnes & Noble thing just hyperbole or actual fact? There is a perfectly fine B&N in Hoboken, basically around the corner the PAD, so it seems unlikely...
Posted on: 2008/1/17 10:51
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A Barnes and Noble was one of the early rumors following the announcement that Cordish would be developing the Powerhouse. Its by no means definite. As to the Hoboken Barnes and Noble, that's in Hoboken. I much rather walk to a local Barnes and Noble (or other bookstore) than take the subway. If I'm going to do that, then I'd probably just go to Manhattan and visit either the Strand or Union Square B&N.
Posted on: 2008/1/17 11:29
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Sorry for any confusion. One of the "Lapdogs" mentoned that he had been to Baltimore's Powerhouse and it could be a model for ours. Yes it is a different developer, nothing to do with the current proposal. I've been to the one in Baltimore and its' a big shopping mall anchored by a big B&N bookstore...the closest thing to art is the art book section. I also know the Toll's , my company does work for them...the slogan on their letter head reads "AMERICA'S LUXURY HOME BUILDER". I guess a $5000 a month apt in JC would seem "affordable" to someone paying $12,000 a month in Manhattan n'est pas? I'm sure if you fill out that little drawing test in the back of TV guide you can qualify for one of the bargandada artists studio's as well. When is the City council vote? We "Jane Jacob's" have our work cut out!
Posted on: 2008/1/17 11:52
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One thing that's really awful is seeing "big name" architects designing buildings for the projects.
On the one hand, I guess I'd rather see a nicely designed building going up than LeFrak building clone Number 497, but, on the other hand, what are architects doing contributing to the destruction of beautiful old warehouses? Those architects ought to be jeered out of architecture.
Posted on: 2008/1/17 12:49
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the Baltimore Powerhouse was originally redeveloped into an indoor amusement park in the 1980's (do not believe it was Cordish), it failed and Cordish took over and developed the present retail mix; Hard Rock Cafe, ESPN Sports Zone etc. if these businesses still remain there.
Cordish was brought to JC by the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy around 1999/2000 in effort to stave off demolistion of our Powerhouse. Cordish was not the first designated developer of the H&M Powerhouse. The first developer was to build commercial office space. So depending on your views, we are fortunate that failed and Cordish was subsequently brought in. There is of course more to the story... Quote:
Posted on: 2008/1/17 12:53
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This could be an interesting use for the powerhouse:
http://gizmodo.com/346070/modem-berli ... oned-cold-war-power-plant
Posted on: 2008/1/17 13:52
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Interesting use for an old power plant, indeed. Berlin, though, is a world-class city, with world-class museums and galleries. Also plenty of cash. Jersey City is, well, Dirty Shitty. We'll be lucky if we get ESPNZone.
Posted on: 2008/1/17 14:11
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Sorry to say but the Powerhouse "Arts" District became extinct as soon as that 52 story Rem Koolhaus building was proposed. Although I like the design, the precedent for deviating from the master plan was set. All you can do now is pray that Toll doesn't put up a turd of a building.
Posted on: 2008/1/17 15:02
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2005/3/30 20:24 Posts:
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Just don't see that making much sense for B&N to have two stores so close to each other serving one community. But I'd be glad to be wrong. What I see making a lot of sense is a Whole Foods. 
Posted on: 2008/1/18 11:25
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Jenny you nailed it. Whole Foods or Trader Joe's that sells alcohol like the one in Westfield.
Posted on: 2008/1/18 11:32
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I don't think its unreasonable considering the density of Barnes and Noble stores elsewhere. As an example, Union Square has a store, as does Astor Place, and there is a third on 6th Avenue at 18th; and these are competing for local customers with the Strand.
Or, consider Paramus, with one on 17 north, one on 17 South, and one at Riversquare, in addition to the Borders Bookstores scattered around there too. Barnes and Noble has done for bookstores what Starbucks did for coffee: they've turned book sales into an experience. The coffee bar, the big comfortable chairs, the public performance / book signings / readings-- its not just about selling books. I think a B&N would do very well in Jersey City, especially since Newport doesn't already have a big box book retailer, and in addition, there has and continues to be an undeniable influx of wealthy consumers.
Posted on: 2008/1/18 11:43
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1. B&N does not compete with the Strand. Additionally, NYC has 8 million+ people. Downtown JC + Hoboken is nowhere near that. 2. The Route 17 northbound B&N in Paramus has closed. 3. Riverside Square is far away from the B&N in Ridgewood/Rt 17. Plus it is in a mall and less convenient. I have overstayed my welcome on this topic so suffice it to say that if I am wrong, your first B&N book at this fabulous new PAD shopping center is on me. Deal?
Posted on: 2008/1/18 12:56
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2006/7/21 16:08 Posts:
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book retailing is getting tougher and tougher for what its worth astor place bn is already closed; chelsea 8th and 23rd is next later this year and trader joes simply doesnt pay enough rent for this type of project which is why you typically see them in soso strips
Posted on: 2008/1/18 13:04
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