The Secaucus Reporter March 10, 2013

Page 1

PROGRESS REPORT

2013

EDITION

the

Secaucus Reporter Last call

NINE WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS SERVING HUDSON COUNTY • STORIES UPDATED CONTINUOUSLY AT WWW.HUDSONREPORTER.COM • A PUBLICATION OF THE HUDSON REPORTER

VOLUME 25, NUMBER 33 • SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013

URBAN BEACH – When the LeFrak Organization unveiled the final phase of its two-decade long Newport project in April, the Newport Green park was the central focus, signaling a rise in the importance of parks and open space to residential development around Hudson County.

Symbol of troubled, bygone era, North End firehouse’s bar is ripped out

New buildings, green pastures O

E. Assata Wright Reporter staff writer

Residential development, open space projects surge around county

ne of the last symbols of a troubled and bygone era has been demolished and removed from the North End firehouse, a move that town officials hope will mark a fresh start for the two companies housed there. Two weeks ago, on March 1, town workers ripped the bar out of the firehouse recreation center, which until recently served alcohol in defiance of

The bar at the North End firehouse was ripped out on March 1.

town law. The move came after an incident last year at the North End firehouse, on Paterson Plank Road, exposed what had been rumored for years. In December, two firefighters assigned to Engine Co. 2, which is based at the North End firehouse, were suspended for two weeks for alleged drinking in the firehouse, destruction of public property, and verbal abuse. Drinking is banned in all of Secaucus’ four firehouses, unless a

By Dean DeChiaro

see FIREHOUSE page 10

Reporter staff writer

he past year has been a special one for Hudson County developers, especially the firms that have focused their efforts on luxury residential development. Luxury high-rises are popping up in the few remaining untouched pockets of downtown Jersey City and north Hoboken, while on the other side of the county, Secaucus is seeing major residential growth thanks to several new apartment and condominium complexes. After years of debate, North Bergen recently approved a luxury complex on its Guttenberg border, and Weehawken’s waterfront continues to surge. And while the rapid growth of new residential real estate is something Hudson County residents have gotten used to over the past decade, a new trend is emerging: Developers and municipalities alike are embracing open space as a crucial component to a citizen’s quality of life, with parks being unveiled, renovated and revolutionized throughout the county.

T

Getting back to business Hudson County stores, residents rebuild post-Sandy By Adriana Rambay Fernández Reporter staff writer

espite the swath of destruction that Hurricane Sandy left in Hudson County last fall, most local businesses have reopened, and the real estate market has actually seen some positive trends due to the storm. Municipalities are proposing improvements and upgrades to help mitigate future flooding, and hoping to draw customers to their business districts. Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) proposed in February to invest $3.9 billion during the next 10 years to proactively protect and strengthen its electric and gas systems against power outages during storms.

D

see RESIDENTIAL page 12

Turn your clocks ahead 1 hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 10!

inside Business Directory Classified Critter Corner Death Notices

permit is issued by the town. No such permit had been requested or issued by the North End firehouse in December. In response, Mayor Michael Gonnelli, a member of the Secaucus Volunteer Fire Department and a former chief of the department, ordered that the recreation room at the North End firehouse be closed until further notice. The recreation room and kitchen area are now being renovated by town workers, a project Gonnelli estimates will be completed within a

p. p. p. p.

26 21 6 10

Letters Open House Directory Sports

p. 27 p. 24 p. 8

BUSY BUYING – Hoboken continues to remain an attractive option for families following Sandy, according to local market professionals.

see SANDY page 4

About this special ‘Hudson County Progress’ issue his is the annual “Progress Report” issue of the Hudson T Reporter newspapers. Along with news and briefs about your town, we have included articles pertaining to the current status of development, education, transportation, health care, and Hurricane Sandy recovery in Hudson County. Even in a slow economy, new residential and commercial developments are sprouting, cities are approving new parks and bike routes, and businesses and hospitals are improving

their facilities to attract new clients. The county, with its access to New York City, arts and entertainment options, and diverse neighbors (641,000 of them, in fact), continues to draw new residents. With new people comes a need for new facilities and improvements. Read all about these plans in this weekend’s edition, and send feedback to editorial@hudsonreporter.com or comment on-line at hudsonreporter.com.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.