300 Observer Highway | Hoboken, NJ 07030 | 201-963-9108
For immediate release
Neumann Leathers Tenants to Present Objections to Developer’s Plan at Zoning Board Hearing on February 11, at 7 p.m., at City Hall
11. co m
Tenants Group Also Releases its own Hybrid Site Plan, which would: • Restore Historic Buildings, • Preserve 200+ Jobs in Arts & Industry Zone, • Create New Open Public Space, and • Generate New Development Opportunities.
ke
n4
Hoboken, N.J. – February 9, 2009 – Once again, a national real estate developer threatens to demolish a sturdy, still-viable icon of Hoboken’s industrial past and replace it with a pair of formulaic condo buildings resembling dozens of others in its portfolio. The developer, Trammell Crow, has a contract to purchase the Neumann Leathers factory – currently nearly fully leased to a variety of thriving small businesses employing more than 200 skilled workers, professionals and artisans, along with artists and musicians – but it needs approval for a major use variance from Hoboken’s Zoning Board of Adjustment to exempt the site from its current industrial zoning for residential use, along with lot coverage and density variances.
Ho
bo
“To earn those variances, land-use law holds developers to a high standard – they must demonstrate a compelling benefit for the city to offset the negative impacts of greater density and loss of open space,” according to Tom Newman, a furniture craftsman and representative of the Newman Leathers Tenants Association. “In five special hearings, the developer has failed to meet the standard. Its plan maximizes its own profit margin by maxing out the buildings’ footprint to the edges of the site, and filling the interior with excessive parking in a neighborhood already glutted with indoor parking.” On February 11, at 7 p.m., the NLTA will have a chance to present its case against granting those variances. Members of the public are encouraged to attend; if the proceedings move quickly, the ZBA may call for public comments and wrap up the hearings. NLTA will present structural and environmental engineers who will testify to the soundness of the buildings and the weaknesses in Trammell Crow’s decision to demolish rather than preserve them. Several tenants will argue against granting the use variance by showing the value to the community of the economic activity at the site. “Trammell Crow’s only so-called givebacks are deeply flawed,” Newman says. “One is an unfinished shell of a building with up to 27,000 square feet of space set aside for artist studio space, which amounts to less than 15% of the space currently in use at the site,” he said. “The other so-called benefit is an extension of Clinton St. through the site as a - more -
NLTA To Present Case Against Trammell Crow, 7 pm on Wed., Feb. 11
p. 2
pedestrian corridor, which was viewed as a negative by many people who raised safety concerns about protecting it from traffic on Newark and Observer Highway.” Trammell Crow plan would evict small business, artists This developer clearly doesn’t understand the value to the community of preserving wellbuilt industrial space, Newman explains. Currently more than 200,000 square feet at the site are occupied, three-quarters of it by more than 30 small businesses employing 200plus people; about a quarter of the space is providing a last refuge to some 50 to 60 artists and musicians who help keep Hoboken on the region’s cultural map. Among the famous artists and musicians are the band Yo La Tengo and industrial landscape artist Tim Daly.
11. co m
“The Neumann Leathers complex is a vital part of the city’s business and cultural life, Newman says. “Today, most residents commute out of Hoboken for work, so they might not see all the neighborhood business and foot traffic generated by the people working here, but this complex is one of the rare remnants of the Hoboken tradition of living within walking distance of your workplace.” At Wednesday’s hearing at City Hall, NLTA will present profiles of some of the distinguished designers, technicians and artisans who work at Neumann today, successful 21st century businesses that generate revenues in the tens of millions of dollars in aggregate.
ke
n4
“These are very accomplished small businesses, some with international reputations. For example, Radii is a model-maker who works for architects Frank Gehry and Daniel Libeskind; The Systems Group is an audio/video recording studio designer who builds projects for major networks; many of us are skilled craftspeople,” Newman says.
Ho
bo
“People like us will be forced out of the area altogether; we can’t find comparable work space within the city’s borders because of the inexorable tsunami of cheaply built residential development.” The building is nearly fully occupied now, according to Newman, because it’s getting harder to find truly purpose-built industrial space – with freight elevators and loading docks, high ceilings, and thick concrete floors and walls – so close to urban population centers. The case for a hybrid plan NLTA is also going public with an alternative development approach to demonstrate the flaws of the Trammell Crow plan. As envisioned by architect and tenant John Nastasi, with input from other members of NLTA, this hybrid plan has as its primary goals: Restoring most of the historic buildings Conserving the arts and industry jobs Creating a ground-level courtyard for public use on roughly 40 percent of the site Generating development options for retail, dining and other uses. Some of the less historic buildings and much of the current parking surface on the site could be removed to make room for new buildings consistent with neighboring building heights, allowing for a comparable tax-generating potential to Trammell Crow’s plan.
- more -
NLTA To Present Case Against Trammell Crow, 7 pm on Wed., Feb. 11
p. 3
Adequate parking can be provided within these buildings, as well as in agreements with some of the neighboring parking complex owners. For more information and graphics illustrating the plan, visit www.neumanntenants.org.
11. co m
About NLTA The Neumann Leathers Tenants Association has been formed to protect, sustain and encourage the entrepreneurial, inventive and creative culture that exists at the Neumann Leather complex, which has played such an important historical role for the city of Hoboken, N.J., for well over two decades. Located on Observer Highway at the corner of Willow Ave., we are a mixture of artists and artisans, craftspersons and professionals, and creative technology-based small businesses. We have joined together because we are concerned about the continued elimination of the industrial buildings that once were at the heart of Hoboken's industrial base and which now provide an economical support base for this creative community. ###
Ho
bo
ke
n4
Note to editors: Photos and interviews are available. Contact Tom Newman at 201-9639108 or Melissa Abernathy at 201-683-6935.