At Wednesday night’s City Council Subcommittee meeting on the Neumann Leathers Rehabilitation Area, Subcommittee members reached consensus on an architectural design solution for the project that would not require a significant amendment to the Neumann Leathers Redevelopment Plan. The Subcommittee will be making its recommendation to the full Council during new business at the July 5th City Council meeting.
City Council Subcommittee members, including Chair Dave Mello, Councilman Doyle, Councilman Defusco, and Councilman Ramos met to discuss a series of concepts for the redevelopment of the Neumann Leathers Rehabilitation Area, and the comments received by local residents and businesses that expressed their concerns and preferences with regards to the concepts. At issue for the Subcommittee was whether the City should consider a substantial amendment to the Neumann Leathers Redevelopment Plan that would allow some residential development to be located on the easterly portion of the site, whereas the Redevelopment Plan requires that all residential be located along the westerly side of the site, separated from the industrial arts uses. The prospective redeveloper (and property owner) of the subject Neumann Leathers properties is working with local architect, John Nastasi of Nastasi Architects, who prepared the development concepts now under consideration. The property owner, Mr. Nastasi and counsel attended the Subcommittee meeting, as well.
At the meeting, Mr. Nastasi presented an alternative that would make some architectural changes to the design of the “Revision 3” concept. The changes would keep the residential building entirely on the westerly side of the site, as required by the Redevelopment Plan, but would “re-shape” and narrow the upper stories of this building in order to minimize the visual impact to the residents at the adjacent 415 Newark Street building, and to open up the eastward view corridor.
Subcommittee members were pleased with this consensus concept and feel that it can help address the neighbors’ concerns, while keeping intact the intent of the Redevelopment Plan to maintain historic buildings, provide public plaza/courtyard space, and retain the light industrial uses. The consensus concept changes to Revision 3 proposed by Mr. Nastasi are included below and will be shared by the Subcommittee Chair David Mello during new business at the July 5th City Council meeting.
The Administration and Subcommittee would like to thank everyone who took the time to voice their concerns, which greatly assisted in reaching this consensus concept.
Background:
In a presentation given by City Planning staff at the previous City Council meeting on June 21st, a number of Nastasi’s concepts were shown to the public and the entire City Council. The concepts were narrowed down to the three (3) scenarios that would not demolish any of the existing Neumann Leathers buildings that the Redevelopment Plan requires to be retained and rehabilitated. Preserving these historic buildings, and allowing the successful continuation of the industrial arts uses within them, are two major goals of the Redevelopment Plan, and are top priorities for the Administration. After the presentation, Hoboken citizens were asked to email the Subcommittee members with their comments and preferences for the three concepts.
