The Hoboken City Council is slated to vote on two settlements related to the years old Western Edge lawsuit at Wednesday evening’s meeting.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Redeveloper has prepared proposed concept plans and renderings, attached hereto, detailing a proposed phased development for at least 2 buildings on the Property, and the proposed development of 1001 residential units (300 more residential units than in the Project), approximately 50,000 sf of retail space within buildings on the Property, as well as on-site parking and other amenities (“Amended Project”),” the Just Block 106 settlement says.
“The Parties agree the Redevelopment Plan shall be amended, at no cost to the Redeveloper, to permit the Amended Project and that no variances, design exceptions, submission waivers, or other relief is required for the permitting, approval, or construction of the Amended Project.”
The settlement also calls for 10 percent of the units to be affordable housing, as well as permitting five additional stories and a height increase of 50 feet related to what was approved in the redeveloper agreement from last year.
The lawsuit, filed by Pegasus Partners against the city and Mayor Ravi Bhalla nearly three years ago, alleged that Bhalla and other officials allowed Union City to interfere with, and ultimately harm, the project.
The case did not have much movement for about a year-and-a-half, but the council approved a 30-year payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) deal without a project labor agreement in March 2023.
The following month, Hudson County Superior Court Judge Joseph Turula remanded the project back to the Hoboken Planning Board, who then approved it in May.
As for the Just Block 112 settlement, Pegasus Partners would be allowed to build either 281 residential units on the site or “a mixed-use development combining residential and hotel development within the permitted building envelope.”
“In the event of such conversion, the following conditions shall apply to such a conversion (the “Residential Conversion Phase”): 1. The height for the Residential Conversion Phase shall be permitted at the full height in feet permitted by the Redevelopment Plan or RDA for a hotel development taking advantage of all applicable bonuses as of the Effective Date,” the settlement says.
Just Block 106 is 1200 – 1330 Madison St., Just Block 112 is 1300 Jefferson St., the latter which the planning board approved a subdivision for earlier this month.
The two settlements will be considered by the governing body via one resolution sponsored by 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen.
The council meeting will take place at City Hall, located at 94 Washington St., on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and will also stream live on their Facebook and YouTube pages.
A city spokeswoman did not return an email seeking comment on Monday.
Bhalla panders to Stack and places a hold on this project, Stack returns the favor by rallying North Hudson around Bhalla’s opponent in the recent Congressional Primary.
Bhalla greenlights Fulops application for a Cannabis Dispensary on a residential intersection and gets little to no political support in return. tt would appear that Bhalla needs to find himself another County, or some new friends.