The City of Hoboken today announced that it will begin rehabilitating the Midtown Garage at 371 Fourth St. this spring, following the unanimous approval of a construction contract with Epic Management Inc. by the Hoboken City Council during a Jan. 5 special council meeting.
“This investment in our infrastructure is about fixing real, day-to-day issues residents experience at Midtown Garage while also protecting one of the City’s most important parking assets,” said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. “Right now, we cannot use the garage to its full capacity because of the conditions. This project will allow us to restore needed spaces, improve reliability for permit holders and visitors, and avoid far more disruptive and expensive emergency repairs down the road.”
Midtown Garage, which originally opened in 2003, was constructed using thin precast slabs with cast-in-place concrete, a method that has since been discouraged by the International Parking & Mobility Institute due to its vulnerability to corrosion and long-term durability concerns. As a result, the garage is more susceptible to corrosion and has fallen into disrepair more quickly than Hoboken’s older municipal garages, leading the City to close portions of the facility to parking and reduce its total capacity of 730 spaces. Over the years, the City has invested in interim repairs, including waterproofing and concrete restoration, to maintain operations, but the repairs did not fully resolve the underlying challenges.
While the City’s contracted structural engineer, Greenman-Pederson, Inc., has determined that the garage remains structurally sound and safe for continued use, the City will undertake a complete replacement of the concrete deck slabs and roof beginning this spring to restore the facility and extend its service life by several decades. The project will also include the installation of new traffic-bearing waterproof membranes, replacement of expansion joints, drainage, upgrades to conduit and electrical systems, repainting of the steel framing, and more to create a cleaner and more welcoming environment.
Construction will be completed through a phased approach over approximately three years. Throughout the duration of the project, the City will maintain access to at least 50 percent of the garage parking spaces at any given time. Construction areas will rotate and include both transient and monthly permit spaces. A portion of monthly permit holders will be temporarily relocated to Garages B and D, with the City providing advance notice.
For more information on the Midtown Garage Rehabilitation Plan, go to www.hobokennj.gov/resources/midtown-garage-rehabilitation-project.
