U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) and Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour led a press conference this afternoon to announce an $850,000 federal grant for the 800 Monroe Resiliency Park project.
By Dan Israel/Hudson County View
In her first press conference at City Hall since being sworn in as mayor last month, Jabbour highlighted the park as both essential green space and part of vital resiliency efforts.
“This resiliency park is going to provide additional recreation options, but more importantly, more resiliency infrastructure for much-needed flood mitigation, particularly for the west side of Hoboken,” she stated.
This project is a key component of the city’s ongoing efforts to advance vital resiliency infrastructure, she said, especially in wake of Superstorm Sandy and the possibility of the increasing frequency of severe storms of that magnitude.
“Sometimes people forget that it was now over a decade ago, but it really informs so much of the way that we work and the way that we think about public spaces,” Jabbour continued.
She also said the concept for 800 Monroe Resiliency Park, Hoboken’s fourth resiliency park, was funded and developed over the course of roughly one year.
Jabbour described how plans were shaped by the multitude of community meetings, resident feedback, and community needs, as well as how the city could incorporate resiliency infrastructure.
The park will include dog runs, passive lawn space, a pedestrian plaza, “much-desired” tennis courts, fitness equipment, walking paths, a splash pad, and a protected bike lane continuing the city’s green circuit, among other amenities aiming to promote physical activity and social interaction in the Mile Square City, the mayor highlighted.
The project will also implement stormwater management techniques and green infrastructure to capture and detain stormwater, seeking to mitigate flood risks and safeguard residents’ properties.
Last month, the Hoboken City Council awarded professional service contracts to Dewberry Engineering and Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects for the project. She said they are now in the next phase of preparing landscape drawings.
According to Jabbour, the bidding of phase one of the project will start soon this year. She thanked all those who worked to make the project possible, underscoring how this has been in the works for a while and will continue to advance under her administration.
“At the end of the day, this is an ongoing commitment to how Hoboken will continue to show up in terms of addressing resiliency, smart infrastructure, public spaces, and additional recreational opportunities for our residents,” Jabbour concluded.
She thanked Menendez for his support and partnership with Hoboken, to which he also offered his gratitude.
Menendez said that this allocation demonstrates that “all levels of government are working for the residents of Hoboken in bringing back this $850,000” which helps make the city even more resilient against adverse weather it will continue to deal with moving forward.
Back in January, Menendez announced that he secured $19,142,000 in federal funding for community funding project requests in CD-8 in annual appropriations legislation, supporting critical projects that respond directly to some of the most pressing needs of the communities he represents.
The funding for 15 projects, including Monroe Resiliency Park, seek to address community needs including: upgrading water and sewer infrastructure, supporting public safety and first responders, replacing lead pipes, improving roads and pedestrian safety, and revitalizing parks and green spaces.
“This adds to a series of smart decisions that Hoboken has made in its infrastructure and what the future of the city looks like,” Menendez declared.
While people can be frustrated, especially by the federal government nowadays, he quipped, Hoboken was an example of government that works for the people.
“It’s working here in Hoboken. I’m trying to make it work for at the federal level under difficult circumstances,” the congressman said.
Menendez pledged to continue to keep cooperating with Jabbour and city officials to deliver needed resources like this for the community.
He has previously delivered $3.7 million in federal funding for Hoboken’s water metering improvements project, and $1 million for an urban forestry project in Hoboken.
“These things which belong to the public, our public spaces, show our commitment to delivering every day for the folks we have the honor of representing,” Menendez concluded.
“It’s an honor to work with you mayor, and I look forward to delivering many more resources for you and for the city and for the residents of Hoboken.”
During a question and answer session with the press, Department of Infrastructure Director RJ Theofield said the $850,000 was only part of an estimated over $17 million dollar price tag.
Although the engineering contract becomes another further variable, he said, meaning the city will have a more precise understanding by next year of the true cost.
According to Menendez, as additional phases come to fruition, there will be future opportunities to secure additional federal funding matching the sequence of it.
“Whatever Hoboken needs to drive this project to its conclusion, we’ll work together to make sure it has it,” he asserted.
In terms of when shovels hit ground, Theofield said that the engineering design program just began this month. He estimates the project going to bid for construction in early 2027, and construction beginning by the middle of the same year.
After the presser, Jabbour told HCV that among the next open space-related projects to receive attention will be reopening Sinatra Drive to get the waterfront “truly connected again” after a ton of emergency work was performed on the bulkhead within the last year.
She said that project is on the radar, consistent with Hoboken taking the resiliency approach to any new public spaces, which also includes the long-awaited Maritime Park.
Don’t worry be happy !
Every so called resiliency park has cost multiples of what was originally told to the taxpayers footing the bill
Results have not lived up to expectations.
Hope many of the residents enjoyed the ice skating rink this winter and are looking forward to the water pad this summer in our $100,000,000.+ NWRP. PS Ignore the street flooding.