Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla is thanking Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and state representatives for the Mile Square City the $100 million state allocation for their Rebuild by Design funding.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The state allocation, included in this year’s state budget, will be utilized for construction costs associated with the Rebuild by Design project including the above-ground flood mitigation infrastructure at Harborside Park.
Specifically, the city will be transforming it into a resiliency park at 15th and Garden Streets that will protect Hoboken from rising sea levels and storm surge from the Hudson River.
“To say that I am extremely grateful to Governor Murphy and his team for this historic funding would be an understatement. Make no mistake about it, the $100 million to bolster our defense against rising sea levels and storm surge events will help ensure that our Rebuild by Design project will have the necessary funding to be seen through to completion,” Bhalla said in a statement.
” … This significant award is a clear signal from the governor and our state legislators that they are fully committed to funding critical infrastructure projects which will help us adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change, and ensure our homes and businesses are protected from storms like Superstorm Sandy for years to come.”
He continued by thanking state Senator Brian Stack, also the Union City mayor, and Assembly members Annette Chaparro and Raj Mukherji (all D-33) by name.
After soliciting input from residents through community engagement sessions, the final design of the three-acre park includes above-ground amenities including a dog run, passive lawn areas, playground space, a waterfront plaza, seating areas, and more.
The park will become the first park in New Jersey with elevated flood protection features.
The Rebuild by Design project, which broke ground in the fall of 2021, recently saw the completion of the replacement of underground sewers in portions of north and south Hoboken.
The new sewer system will help prevent storm surge from breaching Hoboken underground, and will complement the above-ground “resist” features of the project.
The first phase of funding for the Rebuild by Design project includes $230 million in federal funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Construction on Harborside Park is scheduled to begin by the spring of 2023.
A big thank you as well to Mayor Dawn Zimmer who got the Hoboken flood resiliency plan ball rolling and reached out the Obama Administration for the first $250,000,000 of funding and supported to then candidate Phil Murphy who now delivered the additional $100,000,000.
she moved away, Dawn hated Hoboken