Comments on: Despite Jersey City’s Bond Vote, Steve Hyman Says He’s Not Selling the Embankment

By: raz

raz — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:23:17 +0000

Hyman purchased it illegally using he privileged connections and has the audacity to say he’s ‘trying to do something good for JC’! please, that’s like trump and leFrak saying we’re doing it for the love of our great nation. If you’re such a good samaritan Hyman, take your profit and give it back to the council so JC residents can use it!

By: Jon Whiten

Jon Whiten — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:24:15 +0000

@Synonymous -

We’ve seen no estimates regarding the rehab/security/maintenance of the site. While I can’t say for sure that none exists, we certainly aren’t privy to it, and haven’t heard a thing about it.

By: Synonymous

Synonymous — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:16:17 +0000

i don’t think light rail will ever go up or down 6th street – seems like a duplication of existing path service. but again, any ideas what it will cost a city already going broke to rehab, secure, and maintain the embankment? and how do you sell the rest of the city on something that (despite what park advocates believe and espouse) only benefits a small stretch of downtown? somebody needs to do a real cost benefit study before the city invests a dime.

By: Hobokenite

Hobokenite — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:54:36 +0000

If Dean Marchetto is the architect for this proposed development do not expect anything other than the same-old cookie cutter mediocrty that he has suffered all over Hoboken. His idea of saving part of the embankment would probably mean having a single stone of it incorporated into the wall of a condo building. Beware!

By: Alan Wright

Alan Wright — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:47:06 +0000

As to Synonymous’ comment… the Light Rail could simply run along 6th Street. Right now, most of 6th Street is one-way traffic anyway.

The light rail runs along the street ALONG WITH auto traffic in Paulus Hook without incident. (There as a collision with a car a few months ago, but I believe that was near Newport at an intersection of 4th Street). Why drive the light rail uphill only to bring it down 6 blocks later? That doesnt make any sense and spoils the ability to make an adaptive reuse of the Embankment as a park.

With the light rail running ON Sixth Street, the Embankment would be untouched could be developed as a park. By contrast, putting the light rail ON the Embankment will make the structure look unpleasant and the noise will spread across the city instead of being secluded to 6th Street.

By: Jayson

Jayson — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:39:20 +0000

6.5 acres in downtown JC is worth much more than $7.5 million, especially once developed. Since Hyman paid a paltry $3 million for the land the city *must* identify how much Hyman’s profit number is and then express a willingness to push his legal costs well over that limit into sound loss territory.

If this does not happen there will be no sale.

By: Synonymous

Synonymous — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:25:56 +0000

Assuming things go the city’s way (whatever that is – remember, the mayor wants light rail which seems to be in conflict with its “full partner’s” plan for a passive top) and the grants come through and the city buys the embankment…what then? Any estimates on what it will cost the city for the improvements and ongoing maintenance?

By: Dale Hardman

Dale Hardman — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:06:42 +0000

William Gaughan was wrong. The bonds cost JC nothing until issued and won’t be issued if Hyman does not sell. I would emphasize that a federal suit is working it’s way through DC District Court and Hyman and Conrail (yes, Conrail is now a partner with Hyman, believe it or not)could both have sale voided. Then JC could purchase the Embankment at the original price that Conrail illegally sold it to Hyman. Hyman is using public posturing to negotiate a higher price, like playing car chicken ala James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, hoping city will back off at last minute. His bluff will be called as the Embankment Preservation Coalition and City are now full partners in this endeavor to protect the Embankment and make it open space for a National tourist destination as part of the National Greenway connection, 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida and as potential for tourism ala the Hi Line in NYC.

By: Auntie Em

Auntie Em — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:18:53 +0000

Gaughan was right on this. He deserves at least some credit for not committing to a 7 million dollar deal when Jersey City is in a hole.

Matsikoudis’ decision not to comment to the press is an all time first. We won’t be hearing from him on this at all. Mums the word because he doesn’t want to piss of Hyman who could be an important donor for the top lawyer’s future bid for Mayor.

By: Jon Whiten

Jon Whiten — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:31:29 +0000

@Gaughan – the city says it will not incur any debt if the purchase doesn’t happen.

@sid – it wasn’t about what we did or didn’t expect Hyman to say — it was about asking a question that’s been on our minds throughout this whole recent mediation/negotiation process: Was a settlement *actually* going to happen, or not? Once we got wind of this letter, it sort of set that all back into motion, and that was the impetus behind the piece.

Thanks for reading.