New Jersey Transit has filed a condemnation suit on a Union City property as part of the $16.1 billion Gateway project to add two rail tunnels connecting northern New Jersey and Manhattan.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“The interests in the land and premises sought to be condemned are necessary to the construction of a new trans-Hudson tunnel that will carry trains, including NJ TRANSIT’s commuter trains, from New Jersey to Manhattan and these interests are being acquired in connection with a certain Project Development Agreement between the State of New Jersey, the State of New York and the Gateway Development Commission,” the lawsuit, filed in Hudson County Superior Court on Tuesday, says.
The court filing indicates that they are seeking to acquire an easement at 314 14th St., a two-family residential home, for $2,000, citing an August 17th, 2022 appraisal from Integra Realty Resources.
NJ Transit deferred comment to the Gateway Development Commission, where spokesman Stephen Sigmund said 105 deep surface easements between North Bergen, Union City, and Weehawken must be acquired.
While the lawsuit cites a $2,000 figure, Sigmund stated that property owners are being compensated $11,500: $10,000 for the easements and $1,500 for closing costs.
In 81 of those cases, the owners accepted, and in 24 of the cases the owners declined or didn’t respond, with a hope of the outstanding cases being settled by March.
“Part of the Hudson Tunnel project is completing deep subsurface easements that are 80 to 250 feet below the surface and parcel owners have a right to be compensated for that and we’re working very hard with our partners to complete this,” Sigmund added.
In June, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $25 million grant for a portion of the Gateway, also know as the Hudson Tunnel project, in North Bergen, with local, state, and federal officials breaking ground in November.
