Hoboken Terminal to get flood wall as part of redevelopment

Jersey Journal

Developers of the New Jersey Hoboken Terminal & Rail Yard Redevelopment say their development will provide a permanent flood barrier at the south end of Hoboken envisioned by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

Representatives from developers LCOR presented changes to their proposed 3 million square-foot mixed-use The Crossing at Hoboken Terminal development project to roughly 60 people at a public meeting held at the Elks Lodge on Washington Street.

LCOR and NJ Transit have revised their plans, following Hurricane Sandy, adding new $15 million worth of flood prevention measures they say will help protect the city from flooding from the south, including the Long Slip Canal.

The development would be built on New Jersey rail yards, with four blocks of residential development above retail development up to 265 feet high on the western end of Observer Highway and four blocks of office buildings, including a 348-foot tower above the PATH station at the eastern end. …

amtrakowitz wrote:Jersey Journal

Developers of the New Jersey Hoboken Terminal & Rail Yard Redevelopment say their development will provide a permanent flood barrier at the south end of Hoboken envisioned by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

Representatives from developers LCOR presented changes to their proposed 3 million square-foot mixed-use The Crossing at Hoboken Terminal development project to roughly 60 people at a public meeting held at the Elks Lodge on Washington Street.

LCOR and NJ Transit have revised their plans, following Hurricane Sandy, adding new $15 million worth of flood prevention measures they say will help protect the city from flooding from the south, including the Long Slip Canal.

The development would be built on New Jersey rail yards, with four blocks of residential development above retail development up to 265 feet high on the western end of Observer Highway and four blocks of office buildings, including a 348-foot tower above the PATH station at the eastern end. …

Why do I have a feeling the beautiful Hudson waterfront view from just outside the terminal is toast?

I told you so.

Now everyone can stop beating me over the head for suggesting flood barriers to protect hoboken terminal and surrounding area.


Beany:

http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/community ... -Draft.pdf

Basically it's just using the area by observer highway. I enjoy that open space, but i guess it will be filled with buildings blocking out the sun now.

As for the waterfront, you mean the NYC skyline? That access won't change. As far as the hoboken waterfront that has i believe 1 or 2 towers going up that have all ready been gone over by hoboken. One tower that all ready went up was the W hotel.

I do hope the cobblestone with trolley tracks is preserved.

that's Belgian block, not cobblestone.

25Hz wrote:I told you so.

Now everyone can stop beating me over the head for suggesting flood barriers to protect hoboken terminal and surrounding area.


Beany:

http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/community ... -Draft.pdf

Basically it's just using the area by observer highway. I enjoy that open space, but i guess it will be filled with buildings blocking out the sun now.

As for the waterfront, you mean the NYC skyline? That access won't change. As far as the hoboken waterfront that has i believe 1 or 2 towers going up that have all ready been gone over by hoboken. One tower that all ready went up was the W hotel.

I do hope the cobblestone with trolley tracks is preserved.

Ah okay, now i see it. I guess I should brush up a bit on Hoboken.

I too hope the Belgian Block is preserved with the trolley tracks as when you take pictures of the terminal it really gives it a historic feel that other terminals and large stations no longer have due to 'progress"

NJTRailfan wrote:I too hope the Belgian Block is preserved with the trolley tracks as when you take pictures of the terminal it really gives it a historic feel that other terminals and large stations no longer have due to 'progress"

I think of it like this, yeah the terminals historic feel is nice and everything, but considering the amount of hurricanes that have been directed our way as of recent, if you don't do something to protect it from the storm surge on the next one, you might not have a Hoboken terminal at all. Sandy was only a category 1 if that remember, while I'm not saying we're going to get some super huge category 5 storm, I'm just trying to illustrate the point that the potential is there for a hurricane much more powerful than Sandy to come barreling on through here. And if you leave Hoboken in general (the whole city not just the terminal) as it is now in the face of one of those monsters, well then, quite frankly, it's going to be destroyed. Something needs to be done.

There are a number of flood barrier options that would not affect the look of the terminal building and surrounding open spaces.

Hoboken has all of these grand dreams of FEMA/FED funded flood barriers but they gotta be bananas if they are going to get away with this without bringing in Jersey City and Weehawken. You can't just put up a flood wall surrounding Hoboken, the water is just going to find another place to go.

Also, FYI the only places the water breached the shoreline was just south of the Terminal near long slip and at Weehawken Cove on the Hoboken/Weehawken border. Contrary to popular belief, the lowest parts of Hoboken are near the Jersey Heights, not near the water. Most residences that are closest to the Hudson River in Hoboken did not see flooding or power loss during Sandy. Hoboken was once an island, and the base of the cliffs was saline marsh. Human intervention brought fourth the great idea of filling that portion and figuring everythink would be hunky doory.

Either way you slice it, I don't think you can stop a flood from entering Hoboken Terminal.

I think this would be part of a larger system of barriers. It makes no sense to build this project just to have it flood every few years, so it is in the developer's best interest to pay for at least part of the flood mitigation.

From the morris canal basin marina area north to the long slip they could simply build a 4 foot concrete wall, with gates to allow access towards the water, such as the pier and the ferry dock at exchange place. You could have a pin-lock railing on top of that, which could be removed and additional wall sections put in ahead of storms. Simple, effective, and not crazy expensive.

On a similiar topic. Took a walk recently to the Hoboken Terminal Light Rail station noticed there is a large amount of activity taking place on a barge in the neighborhood of where the former Ferry dock was. This construction is staffed with 1-2 NJT or State Police everytime I walk by and there is no hint as to what in gods name s going on. Also, you can no longer walk along the water in the vicinity. Is this related to drainage work thats been going on for years or is it something else? All the work appears to be taking place over water, And its not Sandy related, its been going on a while. Any ideas?

Hawaiitiki wrote:On a similiar topic. Took a walk recently to the Hoboken Terminal Light Rail station noticed there is a large amount of activity taking place on a barge in the neighborhood of where the former Ferry dock was. This construction is staffed with 1-2 NJT or State Police everytime I walk by and there is no hint as to what in gods name s going on. Also, you can no longer walk along the water in the vicinity. Is this related to drainage work thats been going on for years or is it something else? All the work appears to be taking place over water, And its not Sandy related, its been going on a while. Any ideas?

Is there a floating crane? They may be attaching some kind of equipment to the end of the new pipe they put in last year.