HOBOKEN, NJ– After a three-year process, which engaged the Hoboken community in envisioning a financially feasible, sustainable plan for the redevelopment of Hoboken's Terminal and Rail Yards property, Wallace Roberts & Todd has published the Hoboken Yard Redevelopment Plan. The Hoboken City Council officially adopted the plan in December. It proposes a transit oriented development framework to create a distinct place while preserving and enhancing the quality of life in the city, in December.

"Community input was critical in identifying issues and developing the priorities for the Hoboken Yards Redevelopment Plan," says Nando Micale, AICP, PP, FAIA, principal at WRT. "Working closely with stakeholders, the Plan balances community and developer interests in a set of design guidelines that promotes best practices in urbanism and green design."

As the Yard is one of the nation's busiest transit hubs, the Plan incorporates the best practices in both transit-oriented design and contextual responsiveness.  Hoboken is a city that prides itself as a low-scale livable community. Therefore, the challenge of density and height was addressed through a careful analysis of access to sunlight once development occurs and the creation of a set of design guidelines that permits up to 2.3 million square feet of mixed-use with active street frontages, complete streets, and five acres of new parks and public plazas. The Plan addresses economic realities facing New Jersey Transit and Hoboken. Other impacts related to traffic, parking and public transportation were taken into account in finding an appropriate development plan for the Yard.

The project required a plan for the Yard that integrates well with the character of Hoboken and with the active input and community engagement of Hoboken's citizens. This community engagement included public outreach, community meetings, interviews with stakeholder groups, and a community survey for envisioning the redevelopment. In a lengthy, and at times lively, meeting in December, the Hoboken City Council heard public comment and debated the Hoboken Terminal and Yards Redevelopment, before voting 8-1 to approve the plan.

The Plan also includes a review of site conditions and constraints and existing documentation including tax maps, review of site conditions and constraints, land use and development plans, analysis of neighborhood character, infrastructure, and circulation and other pertinent information. The Plan can be found here: http://j.mp/HobokenDev