West New York officials cut the ribbon on a 51st Street parking deck with over 500 spaces yesterday afternoon, the first parking garage to come to the municipality in 12 years.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
The eight-story structure also has 12 electric charging stations, which can only be used if reserved with the West New York Parking Authority. Parking will cost 25 cents for 20 minutes, with overnight residential parking free.
“I think it’s terrific … This site used to be a huge, huge embroidery factory. It was built like a bunker because those machines were very heavy,” Albio Sires, a former congressman who is again running for mayor, said at the brief press event.
Hisham Sobhy, of Generosus Advisors, whose company assisted with the project, added that two residential towers will be completed on the site. They remain under construction although the garage is complete.
Sires also said this was a bit of a revitalization for this part of town, note that a Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stop and Hudson County Community College were also in the vicinity.
“It’s just a win-win for West New York. This is going to be a shot in the arm for this section, just like the one on 62nd Street. That was a shot in the arm for that section. Wherever there’s parking, you can see the growth in activity.”
Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez, who is running for a state Assembly seat in the 33rd Legislative District with the backing of the Hudson County Democratic Organization, was also thrilled to see the garage open.
“We are thrilled to be opening this new parking garage because finding a convenient parking spot should never be a source of stress for drivers in West New York,” he said, also thanking Sires, along with U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, for their efforts in Washington.
This parking deck was financed through municipal bonds and also received $750,000 through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for security purposes such as cameras and lighting.
The West New York Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to bond $3.4 million for the construction of the new parking deck.
This is in addition to the $8.5 million that was previously appropriated through an ordinance passed by the board of commissioners that will use parking utility bonds to help bring these projects to full fruition.
“We are overjoyed to see our efforts come to fruition. As Commissioner of Revenue and Finance, it is critical that public funds be appropriately allocated to address the concerns of our residents and increase parking in West New York,” noted Revenue and Finance Commissioner Margarita Guzman.
Public Affairs Commissioner Cosmo Cirillo, a mayoral hopeful, also praised this as a milestone for the town.
“This is the first of many steps to address the parking issues in West New York We will take the appropriate measures under my leadership to ensure that residents’ ability to locate convenient parking is maximized,” he added.
“Residents and visitors of West New York will no longer have to spend extra time circling the block to find parking thanks to the implementation of angled parking and the construction of more parking decks.”
Officials also announced that parking decks will be coming to 57th and 67th Streets, respectively, with the former expecting to hold a groundbreaking by the end of the month.
This parking garage cost the public $13 million ($25,000 per parking spot). Perhaps when it takes a hour to drive a mile, and emergency response times leave people stranded, public officials will realize that investing in public transportation and alternative transportation like bike lanes is better for everyone. Adding car parking increases congestion, pollution, and crashes, and only benefits those who can afford to spend $10,000 a year on personal vehicles.
You obviously don’t live in West New York and Look for parking at night. When you spend 2 hours looking for parking after working for 8 or 10 hours you would understand how welcoming these parking spaces are. Public transportation in NJ? Please. Bike lanes? Really? Try going to work on a bike 20 Miles away. Get real. Crunch all the numbers your want, West New York Needs More Parking!!!!!
You obviously don’t live in West New York and Look for parking at night. When you spend 2 hours looking for parking after working for 8 or 10 hours you would understand how welcoming these parking spaces are. Public transportation in NJ? Please. Bike lanes? Really? Try going to work on a bike 20 Miles away. Get real. Crunch all the numbers your want, West New York Needs More Parking!!!!!