$14 million in federal funds heading to Hoboken to mitigate flooding in northwest section of city

Hoboken will receive $14 million in federal funding to improve its infrastructure and complete construction of a park in the northwest section of the city to mitigate flooding, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla announced at a news conference Monday.The funding is coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the form of a $10 million grant to construct resiliency features in Northwest Resiliency Parkand a $4 million grant for the North Hudson Sewerage Authority (NHSA) to complete stormwater infrastructure upgrades in areas adjacent to the park.“This ambiti...

Hoboken doubles meter rates, passes amended Yard Redevelopment Plan

Parking meter rates in Hoboken are doubling.In early March, the hourly rate for the city’s meters will increase to $2, a change supported by the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce and passed with a 5-4 vote Wednesday by the city council.Council members and the city’s transportation director said that the change is intended to raise revenue as the city faces a deficit in the millions and to free up parking near businesses.The council also unanimously passed the amended Hoboken Yard Redevelopment following months of revisions and community dialogue. The city and developer LCOR can now enter negotiation...

Lights, camera, Hoboken! Tribeca Film Festival expanding to this side of the Hudson

The renowned Tribeca Film Festival is expanding into Hoboken this year, the festival announced Monday.The festival, which is entering its 19th year, will bring its “cinematic storytelling and experiences” to the Mile Square City in April.“We are incredibly thrilled to bring the renowned Tribeca Film Festival to Hoboken,” said Mayor Ravi Bhalla. “There’s no better location to host the festival than our mile square, offering a wealth of culture with our local artists, galleries, and The Mile Square Theatre Company, and further cements our city as one of the major cultural destinations in the tri...

Construction updates on water mains, Northwest Resiliency Park

Repairs to the water main on 14th and Willow Avenue have been completed, and the roadway is anticipated to be fully open to traffic by this evening.

Thief, Uber Eats driver who left vehicle running unattended are both cited by Hoboken police, authorities say

Last week Hoboken police issued an alert to drivers, warning them not leaving their vehicles running unattended.An Uber Eats driver apparently did not get the message.The driver called police at 3:50 a.m. on Feb. 2 after his vehicle was stolen in front of the McDonald’s at Washington and Third streets, Hoboken Detective Lt. Danilo Cabrera said.The driver said he was picking up an order when he saw a woman with blond hair get in his vehicle and drive south on Washington, Cabrera said.Hoboken police notified nearby police departments and the vehicle was located by Hudson County sheriff’s officer...

Fulop: ‘Zero chance’ Christ Hospital property gets rezoned as residential if it closes

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop is dashing any speculation that the Christ Hospital property — with its sweeping views of New York City — would become residential if the hospital closes.“To be clear: that land is zoned Medical Use Only today and if the hospital closes there is zero chance we entertain any changes to the existing zoning,” Fulop wrote on Twitter on Thursday morning. “Let’s take the dreams of big residential value for the property off the table bc it is never going to happen there after a hospital closes.”New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli has appointed a state monit...

Former Hoboken tax collector gets year in prison for $914K tax evasion

A Hoboken accountant who worked as the city’s tax collector for 35 years was sentenced Tuesday to a year and one day in prison for tax evasion, federal authorities announced.Louis Picardo, 64, previously admitted that he failed to report $3.7 million in income he earned between 2012 and 2015 from his accounting practice and various rental properties he owned.Picardo served as Hoboken’s tax collector from 1973 to 2008, and entered the private sector upon his retirement from the city. He was a partner in Cannarozzi & Picardo LLC, a Hoboken-based accounting firm, and also managed both commercial ...

Blaze rips through multi-family homes, displaces 10 residents in Jersey City

Firefighters were on the scene of a large fire early Wednesday in Jersey City that tore through at least two multi-family homes.The New Jersey Red Cross said their disaster team had been deployed to assist families displaced by the blaze in the 400 block of Mercer Street.Eyewitness News reported at least 10 people were forced from their homes when the 3-alarm blaze broke out about 3:25 a.m. Three vehicles outside the building also caught fire, according to the report.No injuries were reported.@ABC7NY@CBSNewYork#jerseycitypic.twitter.com/aj5XZn3LFB— T (@beachykeen22)Our Disaster Action Team is ...

Hoboken to consider formalizing pub crawls, again

Every time drunken revelers dressed in Santa and Leprecon garb infiltrate Hoboken bars, the city foots a bill that can exceed $100,000.Councilman Mike DeFusco wants to help relieve taxpayers of that burden and plans to introduce an ordinance Wednesday to transfer the responsibility to the pub crawl operators.The ordinance would require those organizers to pay $200 to apply to hold their event and then pay $3,000 for every restaurant or bar that participates.The ordinance institutes an additional $1,000 fee for every participating restaurant that allows pub crawlers to use outdoor space.“Introd...

Hoboken is acquiring land from PSE&G and wants residents to help determine its future

HOBOKEN – It’s a city’s dream: an open lot, acquired for free.Through a land swap with PSE&G, Hoboken will soon own about 22,000-square-foot property on the western edge of Second Street.The land acquisition presents a rare opportunity for the city — the property has immediate light rail access, is located in a corner of the city with relatively little foot traffic, and is zoned for a variety of uses, officials said.The city has neither an agenda nor immediate timeline for the project, said Hoboken’s chief resilience officer Caleb Stratton. That’s why it held a meeting Thursday night to gather...