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Overnight Off-duty Police Detail: P.O. Jerry Vorhees and I toured the district between 3:45am-5am.
1 Journal Square Plaza - 2 Homeless people discovered. They were advised and moved on.
Loews Theater- 2 vagrants getting ready to bed down as Jerry and I walk by..they were advised and moved on.
Provident Bank - Vagrant inside the ATM lobby was removed.
Stanley Theater - No activity...first time in a long time.
Old Bergen Church - No activity.
Elliot Braha (far left) stands with Salvation Army Band members and Journal Square SID Ambassadors.
HSBC Executives passing through on their way to lunch stopped by to listen to the music.
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
The owners of Snow, a shaggy-haired Maltese who escaped from her Jersey City owners in October - and was given by a shelter to a new owner on Long Island - are asking the City Council for help in getting their dog back.
"This dog has been with us for seven years," said Sandra Roca, standing next to her mother, Lucy Roca. "This dog is part of our family."
According to family members and city officials, Snow escaped from the backyard of the Rocas' Journal Square apartment on Oct. 15. Picked up that day by Jersey City's Animal Control officer, Joe Frank, the dog was taken to the Liberty Humane Society.
According to state law, strays must be held for seven days so their owners have a chance to find them. But on the sixth day, Sandra Roca's boyfriend went to the Liberty Humane Society shelter and the dog was already gone, according to the Rocas.
The shelter acknowledges it had been keeping the dog, and says that it gave the dog earlier that day to an official with Bayonne-based Companion Animal Rescue and Education. A representative of that organization then took Snow to the Animal Clinic and Hospital of Jersey City on West Side Avenue to treat a suspected ear infection.
A few days later - apparently unaware that Snow's owner was trying to get her back - CARE found a new home for the dog on Long Island.
Moved by the family's story, and recalling how he felt when his own dog ran away when he was 13, Journal Square Councilman Steve Lipski agreed to intervene.
But he didn't get far yesterday.
"I left CARE three (phone) messages yesterday, and they never called back," Lipski said.
"I called the city's corporation counsel and I think the next thing we're going to do is file a lawsuit," Lipski said.
© 2006 The Jersey Journal
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
What would be the tallest building ever in Journal Square has received preliminary site plan approval from the Jersey City Planning Board.
The development - to be built adjacent to the Journal Square Transportation Center - calls for two mammoth towers, rising 52 and 46 stories, containing 1,034 apartments, 150,000 square feet of retail, and four levels of parking, officials said.
It would occupy the site of the block of buildings that once included the Hotel-on-the-Square.
This project "is going to bring life back to Journal Square," declared Planning Board Member Larry Eccleston, as he voted to move the development forward with some minor revisions.
Lowell Harwood, managing partner of Harwood Properties, the Jersey City-based developer, called the board's 8-0 vote, " a great move for Jersey City. One large step."
In the most detailed public presentation on the proposal to date, representatives of Harwood gave the Planning Board a PowerPoint presentation on the $350 million project, and even provided samples of the bricks and stone likely to be used in construction.
The first three levels of the project - including the basement - will be devoted to retail. On top of these floors will sit four levels of parking to accommodate 805 cars, they said.
The two towers will share a seven-story base, with the seventh floor housing some of the development's swankiest amenities, including an indoor swimming pool, roof garden, playground and dog run, and for each tower, a game room, conference room and fitness center.
The facade of the building will be a combination of brick, glass, metal panels and metal trim, representatives said. The four parking levels - accessible from Sip Avenue - will be camouflaged with visually interesting, shimmering signs, the representatives said.
The building will even have its own Times Square element - a wrap-around ticker giving news, sports and weather, one official said.
The Planning Board readily accepted a few minor deviations from the redevelopment plan for the area proposed by the developer, most of them having to do with setback requirements.
The most significant change requested by the Planning Board of the developer was to move the development slightly further west in order to expand the walkway from Sip Avenue to the Journal Square Transportation Center from 5 feet to 10 feet.
"That may be a problem structurally, but we are checking it out," attorney Eugene Paolino said.
Harwood hopes to break ground early next year and has said the project will take two years to build.
Mayor Jerramiah Healy sounded like he was looking forward to the groundbreaking.
"Many administrations over the past 15 years talked about doing something at Journal Square. We are doing something about it," he said yesterday.
© 2006 The Jersey Journal
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
2 homeless people were removed from the Stanley Theater this morning, one on the Pavonia Avenue side of the building... the other on the JFK side :
1 JSQ Plaza was clear:
Female vagrant was removed from Provident Bank ATM lobby:
Old Bergen Church was clear:
33 JSQ at the rear of Washington Mutual was clear:
Left to right: Maritza Ramos, Jessica Brito and Tara Lyn Dugan from the Hudson County Community College Communications Department display the Journal Square Brochure and Magazine that they picked up during today's holiday music performance at 26 JSQ. Tara is proudly displaying the back cover advertisement for Hudson County Community College (HCCC) which she designed for the current edition.
Nick Mathelier the Manager of the HCCC Book Store displays his free tickets to the January 15th basketball game between Manhattan College and St. Peter's College which he received as part of the continued partnership between the SID and St. Peter's College.
Many tenants received free basketball tickets during today's event:
Manuel Dominguez and Xliria Javier of Knightsbridge Properties.
Attorneys, Allen Zavdnick and Frank Lerner.
Singer, Monika Olivera and PNC Bank Executive Robert Kropke.
Monika with Don Chapman and Carly Waterman from Morgan Funding Corp.
Carly Waterman and Suida Espinoza from Morgan Funding Corp.
Monika with Sandeep Chhabria from Peri Software.
A towering mixed-use development proposed for the heart of Journal Square is set to go before the Planning Board tonight for preliminary approvals.
The $350 million project will include two towers - one 54 stories, the other 47 - with 1,034 rental apartments, three levels of retail stores and parking, said representatives for the developer, Jersey City-based Harwood Properties.
Harwood is seeking about five "minor" changes to the area's redevelopment plan, said Eugene Paulino, the attorney representing the family-run firm. Most of the changes involve how far the project is from the street, he said. The redevelopment plan permits a six-story base while the developer has proposed a seven-story base, he added.
The city has condemned and turned over to Harwood Properties two out of three privately-owned properties on the dilapidated block next to the PATH Transportation Center.
City officials are continuing to negotiate for the third property, 15-16 Journal Square, which houses a McDonald's, Song's Hallmark, HT Wireless and a dentist's office.
Harwood Properties is under contract to buy a stretch of one-level buildings next to the train station - 1-7 Journal Square - from Ralph Tawil, a New York real estate investor who left Journal Square earlier this year after paying the city $1.1 million in building and fire code fines.
Harwood Properties is waiting to bring a development partner on board before buying the Tawil buildings, according to a source familiar with the project.
Three Brothers Pizza and Daily Tortillas are still operating out of Tawil-owned buildings.
Pictured here, is one of 25 student paintings picked to be displayed at the PATH Transportation Center in Journal Square. On Friday, the PATH Transportation Center hosted live holiday music in coordination with the Special Improvement District. The Salvation Army Brass Band entertained commuters and visitors on their way to and from the PATH Trains and buses.
As part of the SID Holiday Program PATH staff members will be receiving free tickets to St. Peter's College Basketball games. Pictured here from PATH are: Charlie Trombetta, PATH Operations Director, Lucille Haley, PATH Operations Supervisor, The Salvation Army Brass Band and Mark Merriman, PATH Operations Supervisor
The district was toured tonight by myself and P.O. Pete Loracca between 3AM-4AM. Homeless/vagrant activity was observed at the following locations:
The dumpster next to CH Martin:
Stanley Theater, Pavonia Avenue side:
ATM lobby at Provident Bank:
At the following locations there were no homeless individuals observed, however several pieces of cardboard were found:
1 JSQ Plaza:
Old Bergen Church:
Iraida Santiago and Barbara Ortiz from ADP stand with band leader Bryan Beninghove during today's holiday music performance at 2 Journal Square Plaza. Iraida and Barbara will be receiving free St. Peter's College baketball tickets.
Frankie Carlino and Jason Parson from ADP enjoyed the live music after lunch, "This is really nice during lunchtime, they should do this more often," said Parson. Frankie and Jason will both be receiving free basketball tickets.
Bank of New York customers stopped by to check out the music.
Anibal Augusto from Hartz Mountain, Latisha Baker from ADP and George Truszkowski from Hartz Mountain enjoyed the music all day. Anibal and George were particularly helpful before the show during set-up. They will all be receiving St. Peter's College basketball tickets.
The lunchtime crowd enjoys the music as they pass through the lobby area.
The Old Bergen Church and residents of the Essex House on Pavonia Avenue were presented with free basketball tickets today from Ken Graham as part of the SID's continued partnership with St.Peter's College.
From left to right are: SID Ambassador, Jamal Robinson, Essex House Resident, Stan Kanakaris, Old Bergen Church Assistant, Catherine Morales, Old Bergen Church Trustee, William Ennis, Essex House Resident, Ray Eccleston, Old Bergen Church Office Manager, Susan Kortonicle, Old Bergen Church and SID Board Member Ken Graham, Old Bergen Church Parishioner, Constantine Buno, SID Ambassador, Mark Blue.
P.O. Marty Roszkowski and I conducted a foot patrol of the district from 3:30am-4:30am and did not observe any homeless activity. We did discover some cardboard behind 1 JSQ Plaza (top left pic) which may have been left from the previous night. I'm please to report that the Provident Bank ATM lobby was clear (bottom left pic), as was the Old Bergen Church (bottom right pic).
