Fund for a Better Waterfront

The nonprofit Fund for a Better Waterfront has been guided by a single unifying vision since it began in 1990: to secure an undeniably public waterfront along New Jersey's Hudson River -- now and for generations to come. betterwaterfront.org

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FBW’s Connect the Waterfront 25th Anniversary Celebration held at Hoboken Elks Club on October 22, 2015.

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FBW’s Connect the Waterfront 25th Anniversary Celebration at the Hoboken Elks Club on Oct. 22, 2015.

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FBW's Connect the Waterfront annual fundraising party. 1) Tiffanie Fisher and friends 2) The Band 3) James Castiglione, Jim Vance & Ester Milsted 4) Gene Turonis, Jane & Jim Arsenault 5) Emmanuelle Morgen & friends 6) Craig Whitaker speaking after receiving the FBW Riparian Award 7) Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia with Ron Hine 8) Bucket raffle and 9) Beverly Savage and Diana London.

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You’re invited to our annual fundraising party -- Connect the Waterfront: Past Present Future -- on October 23 at the historic Hoboken Elks Club. Dance to the music of Emily Turonis Quintet. Enjoy an exclusive interview with Col. John Stevens, Hoboken’s founder, produced by the Mile Square Theatre. Partake in fine wine and little Latin dishes from Zafra Restaurant.   You are guaranteed to have a good time but also, your support is critical to the ultimate success of our waterfront. Please buy your tickets today. The evening will also include the following: 

FBW will present its first annual FBW Riparian Award to architect/planner Craig Whitaker for his remarkable contribution to the Hudson River waterfront. 

The evening’s master of ceremonies will be actress and comedienne Donna Coney Island. 

Silent auction items include an autographed Eli Manning New York Giants jersey, a $600 bicycle from Flo on Wheels, an American Institute for Architects  tour for four on the Classic Harbor Line and two bottles of very fine port wine: Taylor Fladgett 2000 and Graham’s 2000. 

Bucket raffle items include gift certificates at local restaurants (including The Fig Tree, The Turning Point and Helmer’s) and merchants (such as Aspen Market, Luna Rosa home goods, Vito’s Itallian Deli and Beowoof Pets). 

Hope to see you there.

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Why no shade trees? The recently reopened portion of the waterfront walkway at Hoboken's Sinatra Park has about a dozen small ornamental trees, in stark contrast to the hundreds of shade trees at Hoboken's award-winning South Waterfront park.

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The 1873 Hopkins Map for Hoboken shows its first two public parks: Church Square and Hudson Square (later renamed Stevens Park). Hudson Square extended from Hudson Street all the way down to the Hudson River.

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The FBW crew:  Nicholas Borg, Ron Hine, Augusta Pryzgoda, Rosemary Orozco and Jim Vance after accepting the Heroes of the Harobr award at the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance 2014 Waterfront Conference.

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Read our latest article Comprehensive flood plan for Hoboken in high-stakes competition for federal funding

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Buy your tickets now! http://betterwaterfront.org/take-me-to-the-river/

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FBW Open House will run concurrently with Hoboken Artist Tour.  Please visit us at our office at the Neumann Leathers Building, 300 Observer Highway - 5th floor, Hoboken, NJ. There you can see our various plans, including the 12’ by 4’ model of the Hoboken waterfront. 

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A Prophetic Vision for Succcessful and Failed Waterfronts

The first evening that Craig Whitaker came to Hoboken, we took a walking tour of the waterfront joined by several architects who lived in town. This was in 1990 before any development had taken place along Hoboken’s riverfront. We climbed over giant hunks of concrete and viewed the dilapidated piers and crumbling structures of Hoboken’s maritime past.

The Maxwell House Coffee Plant and Union Dry Dock were still in operation. But the Port Authority piers, Bethlehem Shipyards and Todd Shipyards were all deteriorating relics of Hoboken’s once thriving industrial and maritime waterfront. It was difficult for me to envision what this waterfront could become. Mr. Whitaker, however, had spent his entire professional career as an architect and planner understanding urban design and what made cities work. Read full story.

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In its brief to the Court filed on May 15, the City argues, “This case is a classic example of bait and switch, in which a developer tells the public what it wants to hear in order to obtain governmental approvals — until the time comes to actually make good on those promises.” The City of Hoboken joined by the Fund for a Better Waterfront (FBW) and the Hudson Tea Building Condo Association filed a motion seeking summary judgment against the defendant developer Shipyard Associates.

Beginning in 1997 and throughout the approval process, the developer assured the City of Hoboken that it would provide public recreational and waterfront access improvements at the “North Pier” at the northern end of the site as part of its 1160-unit Shipyard project. Now that all of the residential and commercial units have been built, the developers argue that they were never bound by the agreement they signed with the City in 1997 and were always free to change their mind at any time. In its brief, the City responds: “Shipyard’s disdainful view of 1997 Agreement is not supported by the law.” Full story. 

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'Benefits of the Grid'

With the proper block size, the grid is inherently walkable. Proper block size is the key term here. Blocks with sides less than about 600 feet and perimeters less than 1,800 feet agglomerate together to form a connected network that behooves everyone whether traveling by foot, car, segway, or stroller. By its very geometry, the grid provides the connectivity necessary for good urbanism.

source: thegreatamericangrid

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Brad Miller of Apt3media and Heather Gibbons of Paddy Films filming architect/planner Craig Whitaker for the video that will be launched this Sunday, May 19th at the Fund for a Better Waterfront Open House. In the video, Mr. Whitaker discusses the essential elements of urban design and planning that laid the foundation for the success of Hoboken's south waterfront. More info.

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Nearly 200 years ago, the NJ Supreme Court made a landmark decision preserving the right of public access to waters that are protected by the Public Trust Doctrine. The issue resurfaced as the Hoboken Planning Board considered an application by the Shipyard Associates to operate Pier 13 as a beer garden. The applicant repeatedly asserted that the pier is his private property, a claim the Board appeared to accept. However, the pier extends over the Hudson River, a body of water that is held in trust by the state for the benefit of the public. Will Hoboken's Pier 13 Bring Bad Luck to Public Access?