HUDSON COUNTY PROGRESS REPORT 2012 by Hudson Reporter Assoc., LP

Hudson County 2012

SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2012 The Hudson Reporter Newspapers The Hoboken Reporter • The Midweek Reporter • The Jersey City Reporter The North Bergen Reporter • The Secaucus Reporter • The Union City Reporter The Weehawken Reporter • The West New York Reporter • Bayonne Community News

The Hudson Reporter • PROGRESS REPORT • March 11, 2012 • 2

Progress 2012: New buildings, rail lines, businesses add to Hudson County living ven if the national economy is still moving slowly, life in Hudson County – across the river from New York City (and with better views) – continues with new developments, new businesses, and new modes of transportation.

“Hudson County has been a real driver for the state’s economy in the last 10 years,” said Maria Nieves, the new executive director of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, recently. “Hudson County is a bit more resilient than the rest of the country.”

E Local real estate strong despite slow national recovery

Increasing rents, fewer vacancies, and catering to the luxury buyer By Adriana Rambay Fernández Reporter staff writer espite slow economic gains across the country, the Hudson County real estate market remains competitive, with several new residential buildings under construction along the waterfront in Weehawken, Hoboken, and downtown Jersey City. National home ownership rates, which have declined to the lowest levels since 1998, may

keep dropping as the foreclosure crisis turns more Americans into renters, according to Bloomberg News. Former homeowners seeking rentals in Hudson County will find fewer vacancies and higher rents. The average asking rent for an available apartment in Hudson County increased by 7.2 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to industry reports. While higher rents may push out local residents to outer-lying neighborhoods, New York City professionals continue to seek out Hudson County’s waterfront communities for more

Even with unemployment topping 9 percent statewide, plenty of people want to rent apartments here, as well as dine in the restaurants, shop in the stores, and perhaps open their own small business. Ways of getting around are increasing as well, with plans to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line and possibly to bring a New York subway across the river to Secaucus and Hoboken. And people developing these projects are being creative. As you’ll see within our pages, some of the new buildings in the county have won awards for being environmentally friendly. Regarding transportation, Jersey City and

Hoboken may participate in a new “bike sharing” program. It’s not all about trains, ferries, and buses anymore! (Although those modes are plentiful as well.) Within the pages of the Hudson Reporter newspaper group’s annual county Progress Report, we share new information about development projects, businesses, job growth, transportation, education, and the county’s six local hospitals. What’s on the drawing board? What’s down the road? Read our annual issue and catch up! You can also check out the stories (as well as news about local towns) at hudsonreporter.com.

affordable living and close proximity to Manhattan. Hudson leads the state in the rental housing market and has 13,000 Class A luxury units, the highest number in New Jersey, according to a recent story in The New York Times. The average monthly rent in Hudson County has reached $2,600, the highest average in the state, according to the article. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census on housing units authorized by building permits, New Jersey had 1,282 new units authorized for construction during the month of December 2011. Hudson County ranked second to Bergen County with 108 units, including 101 multi-family units and 7 single-family units. The multi-family units include 42 planned for Secaucus and 25 in Hoboken. Besides its proximity to jobs in Manhattan, Hudson County offers waterfront views, a booming restaurant scene, and multiple forms of mass transit.

that want to be close to work, and if work is in Manhattan, Hudson County is still the least expensive option.” In his experience, the area hasn’t felt the effects of either the recent economic gains or the past major downturn, and the rental and housing market has remained steady. He said that people are buying homes and that rentals have been trending up. “The past six months, the rental market has been very strong,” said Armagno. “The rents have increased; The supply has decreased.” He said many people seek out rentals because they don’t have good credit or enough money for a down payment on a house or condo. “There is more demand for rental homes than there has been supply over the last five years,” said Carl Goldberg, a partner in Roseland Properties, which has developed many housing units on the Hudson waterfront. “This has been especially true since 2008. We are marketing our community to a renter by choice. They are making a conscious decision to rent a home instead of purchasing a home. They are very focused on quality of life, services, and amenities.” Several new developments are under way in Jersey City including Laguna, a one and twobedroom apartment building, which is part of the LeFrak Organization’s expansion of the massive Newport neighborhood on the waterfront. The new building is set to open in January 2013.

Jersey City “There are definitely more families coming into the area – young professionals with one or two kids – they want to be close to everything, they want city living,” said real estate agent Tony Armagno of Armagno Agency in Jersey City. He has been in the real estate industry for more than 30 years. “There are always people

of the Henley on the Hudson project in Weehawken.

Bayonne

LUXURY CITY LIVING – The City Living brand of Toll Brothers includes the 1450 Washington Street Condo in Hoboken, which includes amenities like a 24 hour concierge, indoor fitness center, and playroom. rental apartments at Xchange at Secaucus Junction is set for completion in June. The project will include 269 market-rate units and 48 units designated as affordable housing. The buildings consist of one-two, and three-bedroom apartments along the Hackensack River and are minutes away from the Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Station. The development used LEED certified products, including the installation of solar tubes on the roof to supply energy to all of the hallway lights on the top floors during the day. They also built a solar field that measures 4 acres across and feeds energy to the common spaces.

Union City

Hoboken

Densely populated Union City is going against popular development trends The demand for rentals has not ROOM FOR FAMILIES – The indoor play room at 1450 and plans to impose restrictions to predeterred developers like Toll Washington includes half of a real boat. More families with vent the building and construction of any new high rises. The mayor and Board of Brothers in Hoboken – who devel- children under 5 are moving to uptown Hoboken. Commissioners recently held a series of oped the Hudson Tea Buildings scheduled for completion at the start of 2013. meetings to determine what can be developed and Maxwell Place – from investing in more luxin the landlocked city. ury condo units. They recently added a new The discussions reflect changes to the Union building, 1450 Washington, to the uptown Tea City Planning Board’s master plan, which hadn’t Building complex. been updated in seven years, that determine “People are staying in Hoboken and making a building size and height and how much parking life here. They are interested in buying as In North Bergen, the AvalonBay project broke will be allowed per unit, among other zoning opposed to renting,” said John McCullough, ground in June. The community, located near rules. vice president of Toll Brothers City Living. Kennedy Boulevard and 56th Street, will consist Future buildings in some parts of town may be McCullough has lived in Hoboken for seven of 164 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartlimited to five to six stories as compared with years. “We get a lot of different types of buyments and an underground garage. The units 22-story buildings that were allowed in the past. ers.” will be a short walk from the Bergenline light rail Future development will also be limited for McCullough said that buyers varied and station. areas containing two- or three-family dwellings. included: recent college students who had help Officials in North Bergen recently announced The mayor and commissioners will vote on the from their parents to buy small homes; young that they have plans to rezone the area of the changes in March. Existing buildings will not be families with dual incomes; and empty nesters former Hudson News building along Paterson affected. that left a big home in the suburbs to be free of Plank Road to allow for residential and retail The city has 24,931 housing units, with 22,814 maintaining it. development. of those units occupied, according to the 2010 “I still think there is an ongoing flight towards Certain other developments in North Bergen Census. quality and towards urban living,” said and Guttenberg have proven controversial if McCullough. “They always say when the marthey were either too close to the Palisade Cliffs ket turns down, the best stuff turns down last or to a natural gas pipeline. Activists and neighand it comes back first. I think that is what we bors have come to recent Planning Board meetfound here.” Hartz Mountain Industries, in partnership with ings to speak up about those proposals. McCullough said Toll Brothers plans to Roseland Property Company, has several propexpand the City Living brand to a property erties under construction on the Weehawken across the street from 1450 Washington and waterfront. another one east of that. There will also be two These include the Estuary, a 589-unit luxury new properties at Maxwell Place on the central Hartz Mountain Industries, the biggest develcomplex at Lincoln Harbor, and RiverParc at waterfront. oper in Secaucus, began acquiring luxury Port Imperial, which will start construction in “This part of Hoboken was underserved as far multi-family rental properties in 2010. Hartz September and consist of approximately 300 as new construction for sale product,” said announced in September 2011 that it had purunits. McCullough. “It turns out that there have been chased a stake in Roseland Management, the people sitting on the sidelines for a few years property management arm of Roseland and there is some pent-up demand.” Property Company, covering more than 1,100 1450 Washington is 60 percent sold and is units in four New Jersey properties. Roseland In West New York, Roseland Property broke due for completion this month. It consists of will also manage Hartz residential buildings ground last year on the $120 million luxury proj157 luxury units priced from high $300,000 for when construction on new buildings is comect RiverTrace, a 316-unit rental building in the studios, which have all been sold, to $900,000 plete and existing management agreements Port Imperial neighborhood on the waterfront. for large three bedrooms. expire. The groundbreaking for RiverTrace came less On 14th street, Advance Realty continues its Roseland is set to develop Osprey Cove, a than two weeks after Roseland began work furconstruction of 14 Willow, a mixed-use and resnew residential building in Secaucus. ther south along the waterfront on a new section idential building on Willow Avenue, which is Meanwhile, Phase III of the development of

North Bergen and Guttenberg

Weehawken

Secaucus

West New York

Bayonne has a number of development projects in the pipeline, including the conversion of an old Maidenform factory on Avenue E to a 99unit residential development with amenities. The City Council approved an ordinance in November that paved the way for redevelopment of such properties. Another such project is Camelot at Bayonne. The downtown building will consist of 96 upscale rental units. Construction is set to begin in 2012. It is located on a 1-acre parcel that once housed a bus terminal but had been vacant for many years. The project, on Kennedy Boulevard between Second and Third streets, offers views of the Bayonne Bridge. A 47-unit residential facility to consist of affordable rental units is proposed for Avenue E and East 45th Street. This property is part of the city’s scattered site redevelopment. The site is one of a series of properties along Avenue E near the New Jersey Turnpike exit that the city is seeking to have upgraded. Two properties adjacent to this site are part of a proposed park expansion. The units will be geared towards working people earning from between $20,000 to about $60,000 a year – although there will be some market-rate rentals, as well as six units dedicated to military veterans. Six units will be set aside for residents whose family includes someone suffering from multiple sclerosis.

Parks Meanwhile, several towns are hoping to preserve the remaining open space areas for parks. The towns of Weehawken and Union City plan to buy a 14-acre reservoir near their border and use government grants to preserve the area. North Bergen and Guttenberg are working on a waterfront park that should be completed this fall. The estimated $3.5 million 1.5 acre park will include a passive open space, a playground, a shaded area, an amphitheater, rest rooms, and a parking lot. The mayor and Town Council in Secaucus have undertaken initiatives to upgrade every park in the municipality. Hoboken has plans for several new parks, including at least one at the city’s border with Weehawken.

Building green O

ver the past few years, several Hudson County developers have made a point of including environmentally friendly features for their buildings, and have won awards for doing so. They include: In Hoboken, the uptown Berkshire apartment building in the Shipyard development received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification, a recognition given to projects with a commitment to environmentally friendly building. It was one of only four residential projects in the state to receive that designation. The Van Leer Place development in Jersey City received a $3.6 million alternative energy grant from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. It will utilize a number of green technologies including solar energy and solar water heaters. The first LEED certified residential building in the state, Garden Street Lofts – 30 luxury condominiums – was created by Developer Lawrence Bijou, who moved to Hoboken in 2003 to pursue his vision to create a green building. He converted an old coconut processing and storage warehouse into an environment with sustainable design in mind. The multi-use building was constructed with a special metal panel system and reused materials in its design and also includes air filtration, low flow plumbing, and a green roof among other green features.

3 • The Hudson Reporter • PROGRESS REPORT • March 11, 2012

The Van Leer Place development near the Jersey City/Hoboken border is set to break ground at the end of 2012. Daniel Gans and George Vallone of the Hoboken Brownstone Company are the developers of the property, which will have over 400 residential units at the site of a former chocolate factory. A “green” building, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities awarded the project a $3.6 million alternative energy grant (see sidebar). Two years from now, two 500-unit high-rise buildings will go up on the waterfront next to the Exchange Place PATH station as a joint project between Ironstate Development Company and Mack-Cali Realty Corporation. The Manhattan Building Company is working on a 20-story tower near the Holland Tunnel that will consist of two- and three-bedroom units. The project is halfway toward completion. In the Paulus Hook neighborhood, Fields Development is building a 131-unit luxury rental with studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms. A new building, 18 Park, is scheduled to open by fall of 2013 and will have 422 units in downtown Jersey City. The building is being developed by a partnership of Ironstate Development Company and Kushner Real Estate Group. Hartz Mountain Industries and Roseland Property Company recently announced that they intend to build a 1,000-unit residential complex at 99 Hudson St. The project proposes to be the largest rental project and one of the top five tallest buildings in New Jersey. They are hoping to get an urban tax credit to build in Jersey City as soon as the state revives the popular program. Work is scheduled to begin on Marbella II in July, another Roseland property that will mirror the 400 unit Marbella building at 425 Washington Blvd.

The Hudson Reporter • PROGRESS REPORT • March 11, 2012 • 4

The state of Main Street Big and small businesses are growing in Hudson County By Ray Smith Reporter staff writer udson County’s main streets are making a comeback, with empty storefronts downtown beginning to fill up. “I think the mantra for 2012 is that we’re cautiously optimistic about business and business growth,” said Maria Nieves, the new executive director of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce. “Hudson County is a bit more resilient than the rest of the country.” In 2011, the county saw the announced departure of a few major economic players, such as Panasonic in Secaucus, which moved to Newark to take advantage of a tax credit for moving to the state’s urban communities. But the same program has lured businesses to Hoboken and Jersey City. Pearson Education recently signed a 15-year lease to bring its 900 jobs to an office building slated to open in 2014 on Hoboken’s south waterfront, two blocks from the main street,

Washington Street. An $82 million tax credit from the state’s Urban Hub Tax Credit program helped sweeten the deal for the publishing company. Representatives from Pearson noted earlier this month that in addition to tax credits offered by the state, Hudson County’s lower rental rates made the west side of the Hudson River an attractive destination. New Jersey also awarded Goya Foods in Secaucus an $82 million tax credit to stay in the state. The company will move 369 of their jobs to Jersey City. In Bayonne, last year’s arrival of Walmart created 900 new jobs in Hudson County’s southernmost city. On a smaller level, several local towns are trying to revitalize their town squares and plazas to increase their value as a shopping destination. Last year saw new restaurants, art galleries, and taverns.

SHOPPING HUB – Hoboken’s Washington Street saw new businesses come in last year, and remains a very walkable and shoppable avenue.

Hoboken

Jersey City

Hoboken’s Washington Street continues to be a prime destination, running from the bottom to the top end of the mile-square city. “We’re very encouraged by the new Office Depot location,” said Mike Novak, the president of the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce. The opening of the Office Depot at 59 Washington Street in January filled a void created when Barnes and Noble closed its doors in 2010. The former Blockbuster Video location in the 400 block of Washington Street remains the largest empty storefront space in Hoboken. But smaller spaces are filling up. “There has been some activity in the bar and restaurant community that we think indicates that retail is alive and well in Hoboken,” Novak said. In 2011, two art galleries (Lana Santorelli Gallery and Gallery 1200) opened on Washington Street.

In Jersey City, business communities are expanding “in pockets of town” in addition to main streets like Newark Avenue and neighborhoods like Newport. “We’re seeing more business development in some corners of town,” Nieves said. “We’ve signed new members [of the chamber] in Hamilton Square, and in the burgeoning downtown district.” Nieves said the countywide Chamber of Commerce is looking to become “less Jersey City-centric,” but much of the business development in the county is indeed driven by the economic state of New Jersey’s second largest city. Jersey City, along with Hoboken, is part of the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit program. The program offers tax subsidies for companies that are willing to move near mass transit hubs, encouraging employees to take New Jersey Transit or other modes of public transportation.

Secaucus In Secaucus, a community more suburban than its Hudson County neighbors, “Main Street” is more of an expression than an actual area in the town. But Mayor Michael Gonnelli has been fixing up the downtown center, or Secaucus Plaza area, to make it more of a destination. “A year ago we put together a small business association and they’ve been pretty active,” Gonnelli said. “I’m pleased to announce that in our downtown there are no vacancies.” The town has run many events in the Plaza in the past year. “We have a street fair coming up,” Gonnelli said, “and we’re encouraging as many people as possible to come.” He said a lot of small businesses in Secaucus have been “pooling their resources” so that they’re able to do more advertising. Gonnelli also said that the town had “the busiest year in the history of Secaucus” last year in development. He added that the municipality is trying to lure a new supermarket to open in town, something that has been a goal for several years.

North Bergen and Guttenberg North Bergen Mayor and State Sen. Nicholas Sacco said his town boasts “two excellent shopping districts full of small businesses” on Bergenline Avenue and Broadway. “They contain everything from mom-and-pop retailers to national chains to fantastic local restaurants,” Sacco said. Sacco said his town benefits from an Urban Enterprise Zone program, which provides a lower sales tax rate to encourage business development in urban areas in New Jersey. Businesses in the zone can charge 3.5 percent sales tax and also use that money for renovations and public safety in the district. Towns like Guttenberg, Union City, and West New York are also in the program. “Unfortunately the UEZ program has been significantly cut by Governor Chris Christie,” Sacco noted, “and is in danger of total collapse, which could have a negative impact on many small businesses in North Bergen and other urban areas. Although the program has been drastically cut by the governor, member businesses are currently still able to take advantage of the reduced sales tax provision.” Sacco said the state of small business in North Bergen is still strong. “More new small businesses are opening all the time,” Sacco said. He added that the town has made capital investments in the business areas, including installing new sidewalks and sewerage systems, repaving streets, putting in new lighting and signage, and increasing the availability of public parking. “Making the area more attractive to customers helps small businesses grow and succeed and we will continue our efforts to keep both shopping districts clean and safe,” he said.

see BUSINESS page 11

5 • The Hudson Reporter • PROGRESS REPORT • March 11, 2012

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Light rail, ferry, buses, and bikes Transportation projects surge forward By Stephen LaMarca Reporter Staff Writer udson County is already a mass transit hub, with buses, rail lines, and ferry routes to New York City and the suburbs. But still, more projects are underway or planned for the future, including an expansion of the light rail line to Bergen County and two new stops in Jersey City, and a new Amtrak rail tunnel to New York City.

Light rail expansion The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail began operating in April 2000 and connects Bayonne with Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City, and North Bergen. It provides more than 40,000 weekday trips among 24 stops. The light rail most recently expanded in January 2011 to its Eighth Street station in Bayonne. Now NJ Transit is considering how far to extend the line into Bergen County. Dubbed the Northern Branch Corridor Project, a potential extension could serve up to 10 more station stops. The line could extend past North Bergen to Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Leonia, Englewood, and Tenafly. A new stop inside North Bergen will also be added. While simultaneously planning for the North Branch Corridor Project, NJ Transit approved a plan in May to extend the light rail across Route 440 from its Jersey City stations at West Side and Claremont avenues to the Society Hill area and future 100-acre Bayside/Bayfront develop-

ment on the Hackensack River waterfront. The expansion could be a big boost for the future Bayfront site, which is slated by the city’s redevelopment agency to “become a new community with public waterfront access, 20 acres of parks and open space, new businesses, housing opportunities and access to mass transit.” The project is being built by Bayfront Redevelopment, LLC, a subsidiary of Honeywell International. Other light rail stops have spurred more development. Hudson County Community College recently expanded to a location in close proximity to the light rail station in Union City. The site features a glass-enclosed pedestrian bridge linking the structure with the station.

Make way, Bayonne Bridge The light rail may even extend to Staten Island when the Bayonne Bridge is raised. As it currently stands, the Bayonne Bridge cannot accommodate the new, larger container-carrying ships bound for the ports of Elizabeth and Newark. The ships are expected to arrive on the east coast in 2014 due to the widening of the Panama Canal. The Port Authority announced early last year that the bridge will be raised without having to seize nearby property. Called the Bayonne Bridge Navigation Project, the project will cost $1 billion. The redesigned bridge will include

RAISING – The Bayonne Bridge will be raised to accommodate the large container-carrying ships due in 2014. wider lanes, a breakdown shoulder, a walkway, and a bikeway. The span will also have the potential to add the light rail link. Earlier this month, blasting and drilling began in Newark Bay to create deeper lanes for shipping in local bodies of water.

The light at the end of the tunnel? Many New Jersey commuters and officials placed hope in the Access to the Region’s Core Tunnel, two NJ Transit tubes that were supposed to allow 25 trains per hour to travel under

the Hudson River and into an expanded Penn Station. The project was expected to be completed by 2018, and could have created 44,000 jobs. Gov. Christopher Christie cancelled the $8.7 billion ARC tunnel in late 2010 due to cost overruns. But that wasn’t the end. Last February, Amtrak announced the Gateway Tunnel Project, a plan to add 13 trains per hour that would travel along the same 9mile route. The project, with an expected cost of $13.5 billion, is currently slated for completion in 2020.

see TRANSPORTATION page 11

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7 • The Hudson Reporter • PROGRESS REPORT • March 11, 2012

The Hudson Reporter • PROGRESS REPORT • March 11, 2012 • 8

Come to Hudson County for learning Increasing local educational options and improvements keep families in area Gennarose Pope Reporter Staff Writer udson County sits across from a city with some of the nation’s most prestigious educational institutions, and is neighbors with some of the state’s more affluent counties with prestigious public school options. In order to keep local families’ kids in the local schools, Hudson County and its individual districts have made strides in educational variety, technology, and performance. Besides the regular public schools, parents and educators in Hudson County have founded 13 charter schools, accounting for nearly 18 percent of the 75 total in the state, with more in the works. They provide students with free and sometimes specialized education, like Hoboken’s English-Spanish language school, HoLA. Around 50 local private and parochial schools in the area allow families to pay for the privilege of an education tailored to specific interests or religious beliefs (see sidebar). Even some of the public schools have strict admissions processes and offer specialized educations, such as the high-ranking McNair Academic high school in Jersey City, or the countywide High Tech High School, currently based in North Bergen.

Redefining public education Retaining students beyond the elementary level is a challenge for school districts. Magnet and charter schools, and now more and more public schools, offer intense college preparatory curricula geared toward preparing students for acceptance into their university of choice. At the same time, some districts have been recognized for programs geared toward technology, health, and special education, depending on the school. North Bergen’s public school district was nominated last year for the Blue Ribbon

Private and parochial schools Hudson County has around 50 private and parochial schools. Here are just some of the options: Hoboken Catholic Academy Hoboken Catholic Academy serves Pre-Kindergarten, age 3 through eighth grade. Total current enrollment is 392 students, and this past year, of 200 applicants, 100 were accepted. While there are no applicant restrictions, preference is given first to Hoboken parishioners and residents, then to Catholics, although any religion may apply. “We are best known for the values that we teach,” Principal Rose Perry said. “We live our mission which is service to God and to others. It’s an old-school Catholic school.” The academics and the curriculum are rigorous and technology-integrated, with smart boards in every classroom. Smart boards are white boards with internet and computer connectivity that replace a typical black board.

Schools Award, a national program that honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that are either high performing academically or have improved student achievement to greater levels. They were one out of nine schools chosen statewide. The district also implemented and expanded their program for autistic students from prekindergarten through first grade. The program has allowed many students who had previously lacked basic language skills to communicate and even transition into regular classrooms. West New York’s public school system has earned presidential acclaim for its fitness and nutritional achievements over recent years. They have been recognized many times by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation; a foundation developed by former President Bill Clinton in conjunction with the American Heart Association. They have met health and nutrition standards by providing after-school fitness programs for all children and implementing a faculty boot camp. They also have improved school meals and incorporated fresh fruits and vegetables into their snack programs, and eliminated candy and soda from their fundraisers. They’ve also developed a student wellness ambassador program that allows students to have a say in the schools’ wellness-oriented activities. Clinton made a surprise visit to P.S. 2 in January to commend the district on its successes. Last October, the alliance awarded the district’s Food Service Director Sal Valenzia the Healthy Schools Program Champion award. High Tech High’s admissions process has become so competitive that students are encouraged to begin preparing in fifth or sixth grade. Out of 1,250 applicants last year, 162 students across the county were accepted into the freshman class. Total school enrollment is 620. They offer performing arts, science, and communications with technology as an underlying focus, and students may choose majors to explore career interests. Students frequently go on to attend Ivy League schools after graduation.

St. Peter’s Prep St. Peter’s Prep, a prestigious allboys parochial high school located in Jersey City’s scenic waterfront Paulus Hook district since 1872, is the only Jesuit school in the state, and serves grades nine through 12. Total current enrollment is 950, and this past year, of 900 applicants, 400 were accepted. There is no religious or residency requirement, but the application process is rigorous and a supplementary COOP exam is given in accordance with the archdiocese of Newark. “The major factor that attracts students from a 50-mile radius is that we’re a Jesuit school,” Vice President for Planning and Principal Giving Jim Horan said. “We strive for academic excellence, we are very values-oriented, and we have an aggressive academic program based on intellectual curiosity.” One hundred percent of students go on to college after they graduate, Horan said, and many attend highlyacclaimed Jesuit colleges such as Georgetown, Boston College, and Fordham, because “they enjoy the culture, camaraderie and values they found at St. Peter’s.”

St. Aloysius Elementary School St. Aloysius Elementary School in Jersey City serves pre-kindergarten

PRESIDENTIAL ACCLAIM – Bill Clinton visited West New York’s P.S. 2 in January to praise the town for its recent efforts in transforming the school system’s nutritional program. McNair Academic High School in Jersey City, a magnet school in Jersey City, was ranked second best in the state in 2010 by N.J. Monthly, and 43rd in the country according to U.S. Weekly’s Gold Medal Schools rating. McNair currently has 692 students enrolled. Out of approximately 1,000 applicants last year, 200 freshmen were accepted. Applicants must apply in eighth grade, be residents of Jersey City, and complete an extensive entrance exam which includes the PSAT. Occasionally students are accepted on a transfer basis. Their curriculum is college preparationfocused and academically rigorous, and offers 25 Advanced Placement (AP) courses. A majority of the non-AP courses are on the honors level. The courseload is heavy, and McNair requires students complete 160 credits to graduate whereas the Jersey City district standard is 140, and the statewide standard is 110. Between 99 and 100 percent of students are accepted into college upon graduation, and many go to Ivy League schools.

Charters for children Charter schools are still public schools, but they are not governed by all of the same rules and regulations. They must be approved by the state Department of Education, and in exchange for meeting state educational standards, they are allowed to run under their own

(age 3) through eighth grade. Total current enrollment is 322 students, and students are accepted at the beginning of the school year. “The school’s draw is mostly valuebased,” Technology Coordinator Joanne Sommer said. “We look at the individual child and try to help them achieve their goals in any way possible” The school boasts high academic achievements and offers a plethora of after-school clubs and activities. “Any club you can think of,” Sommer added. Their unique pre-kindergarten program for three and four-year-olds runs from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m., after which “they come out almost ready for first grade,” she said.

Marist High School Marist High School in Bayonne serves grades nine through 12 and currently has 425 students. The application process is selective, though not exclusionary based on demographics, and students are urged to take the COOP exam sanctioned by the Newark Archdiocese in November of their eighth grade year. “We are a Catholic school and we take it very seriously,” Admissions Officer Erin Sisk said. “Though we don’t try to convert people in the process.” They boast a 100 percent college acceptance rate, and last year their

“charter,” or governing principles. Admissions are open to all New Jersey residents; however, within an anonymous lottery selection process, there are designated “priority groups” which almost always consist of applicants who reside in the same town or city as the school. Hoboken Charter School has two facilities, one for kindergarten through eighth grade with 191 currently enrolled students, and a high school with 79 students. While anyone can attend, Hoboken Charter’s lottery priority goes to Hoboken residents with siblings already enrolled, and the majority of the student body is made up of residents. A primary focus of the curriculum is learning through service. Another charter option with a particularly unique guiding educational principle is Jersey City’s Ethical Community Charter School. Kindergarten through third grade students’ curriculum is taught with ethics, service, and social justice underlying each and every lesson. They also strongly emphasize conflict resolution through discussion and constantly provide students with the opportunity to participate in community service. To comment on this story on-line, go to our website, www.hudsonreporter.com,, and com ment below. Gennarose Pope may be reached at gpope@hudsonreporter.com.

graduating class of 100 students earned close to $6.5 million in scholarships, “which is a great return on parents’ investment in our school,” Sisk said. They provide students with programs such as Model United Nations, and their innovative MedQuest program, which is comparable to college-level pre-med courses and gives unique insight into a potential medical career. Alongside their highly competitive academic program, Marist has a strong special needs education component to their curriculum to aid those with alternate learning styles.

Private schools The Hudson School The Hudson School in Hoboken provides students grades five through 12 with a community serviceinfused, rigorous college preparatory program and has declared its mission to instill “courage, compassion, and commitment” into its curriculum since 1978. The school boasts a lower-than-average private school tuition that has, they say, increased the diversity of the student body, and subsequent exposure to different cultures, languages, and ideas.

Stevens Cooperative Stevens Cooperative has two locations: one in Hoboken, and one in Jersey City. The schools provide its 400 students with a hands-on, “progressive” education and tailor their curricula to fit a wide variety of special learning needs. They teach traditional subjects through an interdisciplinary array of classes such as movement, music, and art.

More parochial schools Some of the county’s other prominent parochial schools include: The OLC (Our Lady of Czestochowa) School (elementary), 248 Luis Marin Blvd., Jersey City St. Anthony High School, 175 Eighth St., Jersey City Hudson Catholic High School, 790 Bergen Ave., Jersey City St. Dominic Academy (high school), 2572 Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City St. Nicholas School (elementary), 118 Ferry St., Jersey City St. Augustine School (elementary), 3920 New York Ave., Union City Holy Family Academy (high school), 239 Avenue A, Bayonne All Saints Episcopal Day School (elementary), 527 Clinton St., and 707 Washington St., Hoboken

9 • The Hudson Reporter • PROGRESS REPORT • March 11, 2012

Not yet terminal Six local hospitals live to see another day By Al Sullivan Reporter staff writer ver the last five years, hospitals in Hudson County have struggled to survive, partly as the result of changes made by the federal government and insurance companies in the early 1980s to help curb the skyrocketing costs of healthcare, and partly because of increased competition for basic services by smaller clinics. Year by year, local hospitals slowly starved for financing, as reimbursement from insurance companies and Charity Care could not keep up with the actual expenditures hospitals made. Hospitals in Bayonne and Hoboken began to bleed money, the loss of resources coming at such a rapid rate that most thought they would close. In both cases, local government intervened with financial support until each hospital could find a buyer. But other hospitals were not far behind, particular Christ Hospital in Jersey City, which a report issued by the state of New Jersey in 2008 identified as one of the hospitals that might close. Most of the issues plaguing hospitals, this 2008 report said, were beyond the facilities’ control, and many could not afford to modernize their facilities. A series of desperate and strategic moves helped save many of the hospitals. The owners of Jersey City Medical Center, which seemed to be struggling, managed to downsize, selling off their other facility – Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus – to private owners. The former St. Mary Hospital in Hoboken was saved from closing by strong support from the city of Hoboken, and under a new name, Hoboken University Medical Center, was ultimately sold to private owners as well. Bayonne Hospital was also sold to private owners. These changes did not come without criticism. The private owners of Bayonne and Hoboken’s hospitals canceled many insurance company contracts in order to renegotiate reimbursement rates. In the meantime, people with those insurances were forced to find other facilities or risk paying high out-of-network rates for care. Three hospitals in the county remain non-profit: Palisades in North Bergen, Christ in Jersey City, and Jersey City Medical Center. The owners of Christ are hoping to find a private buyer. All six of the county’s hospitals are finding new services to offer and other ways to stay competitive.

Bayonne Medical Center According to Dr. Mark Spektor, CEO of Bayonne Medical Center, hospitals have to become leaner and more efficient, focusing on the areas they have the resources to handle and diverting patients to other hospitals when needed. For instance, Bayonne Medical Center has expanded its emergency room, but shut the doors on services like those for maternity since there were not enough patients to justify keeping the departments open. “Traditionally, we have been a center for cancer diagnosis and treatment,” Dr. Spektor said. “We will continue in that role. We have also focused on treatment for vascular and pulmonary, and those programs we are continuing.” Spektor said Hoboken University Medical Center, located in a city with a significantly higher rate of births, will likely become a birthing center. These changes, Spektor said, will allow both hospitals to draw from a wider area than just the towns they are located in. “Why should people have to go out of the county or the state to get treatment they need when they can find it here?” he said. The 120 year-old Bayonne Medical Center, according to former CEO Dan Kane, has made significant investments in heart and cancer treatment, and recently rededicated its cancer treatment center with a $5 million investment in

diagnostic and treatment equipment. Although the owners have spent more money on new equipment since taking over in 2008, the hospital had been leaning more towards performing diagnostic treatment procedures for more than a decade, with new management reevaluating its strengths and enhancing them. The results were almost immediate. The hospital showed a profit within a year of the new ownership and continued profits since. Part of this has comes as a result of cooperative agreements between various entities that allowed the hospital to restore some services lost prior to the new ownership. The new ownership brought in new equipment such as the CAT and PET scanners, as well as upgrading those departments.

Hoboken University Medical Center Despite its fiscal woes over the last few years, the 328-bed Hoboken University Medical Center is New Jersey’s oldest continuing hospital. Founded in 1863 by Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, St. Mary Hospital treated wounded soldiers from the Civil War. Then later, it was a treatment center for incoming wounded from Europe during World War I. In 2007, the city stepped in to help keep it open. The hospital continued to build on its services and expanded its emergency department. Last year, the hospital was sold to HoldCo, which also owns Bayonne Medical Center. Chief Executive Officer Phil Schaengold told the Hoboken Reporter earlier this year that it will enhance its labor delivery services as well as improvements to its cardiovascular services. The hospital is in the process of installing a new catheterization lab which will help patients with chest pains, and plans are underway to fortify its orthopedic unit. The new owners have promised to invest $20 million in the hospital, just as they did in Bayonne Medical Center after taking ownership there.

Christ Hospital Although in a fiscal crisis currently, Christ Hospital has always had a number of significant strengths, including a viable emergency room and advanced technology in oncology and cardiac services. Christ offers a broad range of services from primary angioplasty for cardiac patients to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for those battling cancer. The medical staff at Christ Hospital includes over 500 physicians, most of whom are board-certified in specialties ranging from allergies to vascular surgery. Caught in a whirlwind of events over the last decade, Christ Hospital attempted to fortify its economic position through a number of cooperative agreements with other hospitals such as the former St. Mary Hospital in Hoboken. Over the last decade, the hospital made significant investments in its surgery unit, especially same-day surgery facilities. It also invested over that period in its cardiac services.

Palisades Medical Center

Nurses Patricia Mondello, Diane Mercurio, and Susan Clifford at Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus last year. Palisades Medical Center, an affiliate of Columbia Presbyterian in New York, is actually expanding. Located in North Bergen, the hospital announced plans recently to build a new oncampus 56,000-square-foot facility to provide ambulatory care services, including day sur-

gery. The latest innovation will include some medical office space. The new facility is being co-

see HOSPITALS page 10

The Hudson Reporter • PROGRESS REPORT • March 11, 2012 • 10

Getting back to work… slowly Recovery for the unemployed making progress at glacial pace

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics includes 23 counties in the New York City metropolitan region, including Hudson County. In this New York metro region, the unemployment rate is below the national unemployment rate of 8.7 percent. “This sounds promising, until you consider the fact that the region’s numbers are helped by strong job numbers in counties like Nassau

County, Rockland County, and Westchester County,” said Jon Whiten, an economist with New Jersey Policy Perspectives, a state think tank. In December 2011, the unemployment rate in Hudson County was 9.6, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not only was this rate the fourth highest in the New York City region, but it was higher than the state average of 9.1 percent. (New Jersey has the 16th highest unemployment rate in the nation, according to the bureau.) Ironically, the problem for workers isn’t that jobs aren’t being created, said Whiten. The problem is that the region has a “jobs deficit.” “There are jobs being added to the local economy, both in Hudson County and in the state as a whole,” he said. “But there is this deficit, which is the difference between the number of jobs we have had and the number we need to regain our pre-recession rate of employment. As of November 2011, we had 217,700 fewer jobs in the state than we did in December 2007. In addition, we need about another 105,200 jobs in the state to keep up with the 2.6 percent growth in population we’ve experienced in the 46 months since the recession began. In other words, our jobs deficit is 322,900. We’re recovering from the recession. We’re just doing it at a much slower pace than other parts of the country.” Rutgers University economist Nancy Mantell agrees with this assessment. “The forecast remains positive, although the pace of the recovery is not as rapid as we would like,” said Mantell. “New problems, primarily at the national and international level, keep cropping up that diminish the chances of an ongoing strong recovery. The [situation] in Washington, the likelihood that monetary policy has gone about as far as it can go, the prospect of an extremely long and bitter electoral process, problems facing the world’s economies because of the European debt crisis, and the turmoil in the Mideast” have all slowed job creation locally. According to Mantell, between January 2008 and January 2011, New Jersey’s net job loss was 265,700. The only growth sector in that three-year period was in the education, health, and social services sectors. Although the state has begun to recover its losses, growth will be so slow that the average number of jobs in New Jersey will not surpass the 2007 peak of 4,079,000 until 2016. Last year, however, the recovery spread to more sectors of the economy, a positive sign. Since January 2011, the private sector has added 31,200 jobs, although the public sector has lost 1,400.

HOSPITALS

and an annual operating budget of approximately $150 million.

By E. Assata Wright Reporter staff writer n recent months the national news on unemployment has given job seekers some reason to be hopeful. Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that the national unemployment rate had fallen to 8.3 percent, the lowest level since 2009. Locally, however, in both New Jersey and in Hudson County, unemployed residents are still waiting for the nation’s economic recovery to trickle down to them. According to several economists, what has been called the Great Recession began in New Jersey in the summer of 2007, six months before it took hold nationally in December of that year. But being among the first states to feel the recession apparently does not mean New Jersey will be among the first ones to recover. Economists believe it could be 2016 before the Garden State – and even New Yorkarea based Hudson County – recovers and the job sector fully rebounds. If there is a silver lining in the local jobs picture, it’s that there is evidence that workers are getting hired – however slowly – and some workers are beginning to find jobs in industries they worked in previously, meaning they are able to get back to work faster without having to be retrained to work in a new field. Last year, several companies either moved or made commitments to move to Hudson County, bringing an estimated 2,169 permanent jobs. These companies included Pearson Education in Hoboken, Office Depot in Hoboken, Walmart in Bayonne, and Goya Foods in Jersey City. These positions do not include temporary construction jobs. Both Goya and the recently announced 99 Hudson residential development being built by Hartz Mountain Industries in Jersey City will bring an additional 2,150 construction jobs to area. Some of these companies were lured by the state’s Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit, which goes to companies who move into certain urban areas.

Behind the numbers

from page 9

developed by AMB Development Group and Duke Realty. One strength of Palisade Medical Center is partnerships with other quality medical institutions to provide expanded services that are not usual for a stand-alone hospital, and to provide a higher-quality pool of physicians. Each year, the medical center seems to unveil a new initiative that focuses on the needs of the Hudson County population, whether it is a pain relief center or a sleep center. Several years ago, they expanded their emergency room and guaranteed that patients would be treated in a matter of minutes, not hours, via their Rapid Evaluation Unit. Still a non-profit hospital, Palisades is still innetwork with many of the state’s insurance providers. The existing site features a 202-bed hospital on the waterfront, as well as The Harborage, a 245-bed nursing home and rehabilitation center. The hospital has more than 1,300 employees

Jersey City Medical Center For Jersey City Medical Center, a 361-bed acute care facility on Grand Street in Jersey City, downsizing has made it stronger. The closing of Greenville Hospital and the sale of Meadowlands Hospital has stopped some of the fiscal bleeding that it has undergone over the last few years. Jersey City Medical Center has several significant strengths that it can build on over the next few years. First of all, its relocation into a new facility less than a decade ago removed the prospect of maintaining the 1930sera, unmanageable facility in which it was formerly housed. But the hospital’s great strength is it ambulance corps and its status as the county’s trauma center – which brings in patients from around Hudson County. The campus presently includes two facilities, the Wilzig Hospital and the Provident Bank

Since entering office Gov. Christopher Christie has said that he wants to keep and retain jobs in New Jersey by making the state more “business friendly.” “The positive note here is that while gains have been small, they have occurred in every sector of the private economy except manufacturing and information, and even the latter might have grown were it not for the strike at Verizon,” Mantell said. By the end of 2021, the state’s employment base could well surpass its previous employment peak by 156,000 jobs.

Hanging on to what we’ve got Since taking office, Gov. Christopher Christie has said that he wants to keep and retain jobs in New Jersey by making the state more “business friendly.” Over the last two years the state’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) has used several incentive programs to lure – or in some cases, keep – businesses in Hudson County that were considering moves to other states. Within the last year alone, meatpacker DeBragga & Spitler was lured to Jersey City from Manhattan, and the Hudson Countybased Goya Foods chose to remain in the county after briefly considering a move out-ofstate. DeBragga moved into its new 25,000 square foot facility on Amity Street last October, bringing about 50 workers from the meatpacking district across the Hudson River to Jersey City. To keep the Secaucus-based Goya Foods in Hudson County, the EDA approved $81.9 million in tax breaks to convince the company to build a new facility in Jersey City. Jersey City later approved a controversial 20-year tax abatement for the company on top of the $81.9 million offered by the state. The deal guarantees that 500 Goya jobs will remain in New Jersey, although only about six new jobs will actually be created, according to New Jersey Policy Perspectives.

Ambulatory Center. The hospital serves as a regional referral and teaching hospital and provides service for women and infants, trauma, and cardiac patients. The medical center is a major teaching affiliate of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Although it recently canceled its contract with Aetna (they say they are still negotiating), Jersey City Medical Center still honors most insurance providers, and earned some significant distinctions over the last decade, including a state authorized hospital for open heart surgery, and has been aligned with other facilities through the LibertyHealth System. Like Palisades Medical Center, JCMC is expected to grow stronger as the other hospitals become for profit, drawing on that body of patients whose insurance plans they still accept.

Meadowlands Hospital When originally opened as Riverside Hospital in Secaucus in 1976, the 250-bed Meadowlands Hospital was the first for-profit hospital in the state.

While touted as being victories for local workers, these moves will likely have minimal impact on them since few new jobs will be created.

Is there an upside? Despite the grim big picture, there are, economists, note, signs of hope. According to Erica Groshen, an economist with the Federal Reserve in New York, industries have expanded. Groshen has studied the “churning” of old vs. new jobs in the workforce. “Old jobs,” she explained, are ones that are similar to workers’ pervious employment and require little or no training to obtain. “New jobs” are positions created in industries where workers have little or no experience, in sectors that are growing. These jobs are harder and take longer to get because workers often have to return to school or be retrained or get them. At present, “old jobs” are rebounding more quickly than newly-created positions, especially in science, administrative support, retail, finance, and insurance, she said. “On balance, this is good news because it means workers can get back to work more quickly,” said Groshen. The employment picture is also encouraging for those with advanced education. Just 3 percent of workers with post-graduate degrees are jobless, according to numerous sources. Finally, as the economy struggles to turn around, unemployed residents who had given up looking for work are now feeling encouraged enough to jumpstart their job searches – and they’re getting hired, according to Mantell. Last year, from August to October 34,000 unemployed people in the New York metropolitan region went back to work. Comment on our website, www.hudsonreporter.com. E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com. In 1994, when the hospital was purchased by LibertyHealth, it became a not-for-profit hospital. In 1986, it was renamed Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center to reflect its growing importance in the region. Meadowlands was purchased by the newlyformed and little known limited liability corporation MHA in 2010 to once more operate as a privately-owned facility. Operating as a for-profit hospital, Meadowlands has been able to reinvest in some critical infrastructure, and has budgeted more than $20 million towards a new Interventional Radiology Suit. It recently renovated its emergency room, increased the number of beds in the ER, and has spent $5 million for two new MRI machines. The hospital is also developing an advanced brain trauma center and is on track to become one of only two facilities in the country capable of handing certain kinds of head trauma cases. Comment on our website, www.hudson E-mail Al Sullivan at reporter.com. asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.

from page 4

Weehawken, West New York and Union City Weehawken’s Park Avenue is mostly full of locally-owned stores eateries and bars. And local business is likely to get a boost next year when the Formula One Racing event comes to the streets of Weehawken and West New York. The three-day event is expected to attract 100,000 people and bring in approximately $100 million in economic activity. West New York Mayor Felix Roque has called the Formula One event “the beginning of the rebirth of West New York.” He said the race will “set the tone for future economic growth and development and stability for our towns.” Neighboring Union City is also likely to see some of the economic benefits of the race. Meanwhile small stores on Bergenline Avenue in West New York and Union City continue to sell their unique specialties to area residents.

Super Bowl coming In 2014, Hudson County is also likely to play host thousands of guests in

town for the Super Bowl, to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Jim Kirkos, the president of the Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau, has estimated that the Super Bowl is expected to pull in approximately $500 million in revenue, and New Jersey can possibly capture 35 to 40 percent of the financial rewards, which will boost local businesses. A National Football League committee is visiting Hoboken in March, and the group will scout out possible locations for concerts and events, which are also likely to bring in more business to the area. Hudson County has been able to weather the economic storm of the past few years, Nieves said. “Hudson County is not as sensitive to the recession as the rest of the country,” she said. The close proximity to Manhattan and the up and coming areas of the county make Hudson County a desirable spot to do business. So how will Hudson County’s business community fare in 2013? “We started the year about the same as 2011, but this year is going to be better,” Nieves said. “Especially as we see the national economy continue to grow.” To comment on this story on-line, g o t o o ur w eb s i t e , ww w. h ud s on reporter.com.

EXTENDING – New stops are planned for the HudsonBergen Light Trail train in North Bergen, Bergen County, and Jersey City.

TRANSPORTATION

from page 6

Trains and subways to NYC Local officials are hopeful that New York’s No. 7 subway line – which currently runs from Flushing, Queens to Times Square – will be expanded to Secaucus and possibly Hoboken. The No. 7 subway line is currently undergoing a major extension to 34th Street and 11th Avenue in Manhattan. The proposed plan calls for an extension to New Jersey to terminate at the Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Station in Secaucus and would likely have a stop at the Hoboken Rail Terminal. Last October, Christie said he would support the extension of the train to Secaucus, offering to do New Jersey’s share of the financing, according to Business Week magazine.

Many commuters utilize the PATH from the Hoboken Terminal to commute to Manhattan. In August, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted to raise PATH fares by 25 cents, but the price of a trip is still low, at $2.

Bike sharing Hoboken and Jersey City residents who want to get exercise may someday be able to rent bikes docked at transport stations for quick trips around town to visit local parks and restaurants or to commute to work. Both cities are currently soliciting feedback in a study led by Hudson County planners to gauge interest in a bike share program. A similar program has done well in Washington, D.C. Stephen LaMarca may be reached at slamarca@ hudsonreporter.com.

• Safe, clean neighborhoods and one of the most stable tax rates in New Jersey. • Vornado Retail Center including Walmart, BJ's Wholesale Club, PetSmart, Sleepy's and More. • Light Rail station on Tonnelle Avenue. • Ideal location with easy access to NJ Turnpike, area highways and New York City.

North Bergen Mayor Nicholas J. Sacco Commissioners Allen Pascual Hugo Cabrera Frank Gargiulo Theresa Ferraro C A L L T O W N S H I P A D M I N I S T R AT O R C H R I S P I A N E S E AT 2 0 1 . 3 9 2 . 2 0 0 0 F O R I N F O R M AT I O N

11 • The Hudson Reporter • PROGRESS REPORT • March 11, 2012

BUSINESS

The Hudson Reporter â&#x20AC;¢ PROGRESS REPORT â&#x20AC;¢ March 11, 2012 â&#x20AC;¢ 12

Jersey City, NJ: World-Class Destination for Successful Businesses

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