Fund for a Better Waterfront

FBW’s Connect the Waterfront 25th Anniversary Celebration held at Hoboken Elks Club on October 22, 2015.

FBW’s Connect the Waterfront 25th Anniversary Celebration at the Hoboken Elks Club on Oct. 22, 2015.

FBW's Connect the Waterfront annual fundraising party. 1) Tiffanie Fisher and friends 2) The Band 3) James Castiglione, Jim Vance & Ester Milsted 4) Gene Turonis, Jane & Jim Arsenault 5) Emmanuelle Morgen & friends 6) Craig Whitaker speaking after receiving the FBW Riparian Award 7) Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia with Ron Hine 8) Bucket raffle and 9) Beverly Savage and Diana London.

Hope to see you there.

Why no shade trees? The recently reopened portion of the waterfront walkway at Hoboken's Sinatra Park has about a dozen small ornamental trees, in stark contrast to the hundreds of shade trees at Hoboken's award-winning South Waterfront park.

The 1873 Hopkins Map for Hoboken shows its first two public parks: Church Square and Hudson Square (later renamed Stevens Park). Hudson Square extended from Hudson Street all the way down to the Hudson River.

The FBW crew:  Nicholas Borg, Ron Hine, Augusta Pryzgoda, Rosemary Orozco and Jim Vance after accepting the Heroes of the Harobr award at the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance 2014 Waterfront Conference.

Read our latest article Comprehensive flood plan for Hoboken in high-stakes competition for federal funding

Buy your tickets now! http://betterwaterfront.org/take-me-to-the-river/

FBW Open House will run concurrently with Hoboken Artist Tour.  Please visit us at our office at the Neumann Leathers Building, 300 Observer Highway - 5th floor, Hoboken, NJ. There you can see our various plans, including the 12’ by 4’ model of the Hoboken waterfront. 

The Maxwell House Coffee Plant and Union Dry Dock were still in operation. But the Port Authority piers, Bethlehem Shipyards and Todd Shipyards were all deteriorating relics of Hoboken’s once thriving industrial and maritime waterfront. It was difficult for me to envision what this waterfront could become. Mr. Whitaker, however, had spent his entire professional career as an architect and planner understanding urban design and what made cities work. Read full story.

Beginning in 1997 and throughout the approval process, the developer assured the City of Hoboken that it would provide public recreational and waterfront access improvements at the “North Pier” at the northern end of the site as part of its 1160-unit Shipyard project. Now that all of the residential and commercial units have been built, the developers argue that they were never bound by the agreement they signed with the City in 1997 and were always free to change their mind at any time. In its brief, the City responds: “Shipyard’s disdainful view of 1997 Agreement is not supported by the law.” Full story. 

source: thegreatamericangrid

Brad Miller of Apt3media and Heather Gibbons of Paddy Films filming architect/planner Craig Whitaker for the video that will be launched this Sunday, May 19th at the Fund for a Better Waterfront Open House. In the video, Mr. Whitaker discusses the essential elements of urban design and planning that laid the foundation for the success of Hoboken's south waterfront. More info.

Nearly 200 years ago, the NJ Supreme Court made a landmark decision preserving the right of public access to waters that are protected by the Public Trust Doctrine. The issue resurfaced as the Hoboken Planning Board considered an application by the Shipyard Associates to operate Pier 13 as a beer garden. The applicant repeatedly asserted that the pier is his private property, a claim the Board appeared to accept. However, the pier extends over the Hudson River, a body of water that is held in trust by the state for the benefit of the public. Will Hoboken's Pier 13 Bring Bad Luck to Public Access?