DeFusco: Reducing hotel height by 6 stories is "NOT GOOD" (VIDEO)

First Ward people, pay attention.

Somehow, a certain snake oil salesman captured enough weary hearts looking for change that he almost become Mayor.  Yikes.  

Hoboken sure dodged a bullet.

Now it's up to YOU, First Ward people, to pay very close attention to the person behind the slick marketing: videos, press releases, Pravda-like social media accounts where critics, skeptics and non-flatterers are blocked from commenting. 

If you listen to your Ward Councilman, or read his "newsletters," you've noticed how he cycles through the same unrelentingly negative talking points attacking Mayor Bhalla.  Depending upon how you feel about the mayor, you may enjoy them. However, whether or not you like the mayor, or DeFusco's litany of attacks, it is important to recognize whether you are being told the truth. 

If he is not telling you the truth (he's not), why is he bullshitting you?  

If GA were arguing in court to substantiate my position: that Mike DeFusco doesn't give two-shits about the First Ward residents*, but is a developer suck-up with huge ambition, and telegraphs to the development community that he wants bigger, taller, higher development in Hoboken, this video clip would be my Exhibit A:

*remember how DeFusco urged the City to dump "bulk" into the First Ward while pandering for 5th Ward votes, a swap to save 901 Bloomfield. 

EXHIBIT A

Did you hear that?

First Ward Councilman revealed that he doesn't give a crap about chopping 6 stories off a towering hotel, to make it less-towering. Those 58 extra feet matter to a shadow. 

To him, it's six of one, a half-dozen of the other. 

His statement that reducing the height is "not a good change" was DeFusco's dog-whistle to his wealthy benefactors.  

You see, First Ward people, he doesn't care if residents are engulfed in shadow, as long as he is engulfed in contributions and IE money in 2019-- then again, in 2021.

That's why we need a person who represents residents-- not developers --to take on this paper tiger in 2019. 

For those interested, see below a comparison drawing of the initial proposal and the height reduction negotiated by the mayor. 

GA'S TWO CENTS

For the record, GA thanks the mayor for negotiating a substantial height reduction BUT... I'd like to see another 60 feet knocked off the height to bring the top of the building down to align with the 'main mass' of the adjacent SJP building. Will putting mechanicals  on the rooftop (screened and set back) lower the roof height? There's got to be a way to do this architecturally while maintaining square footage, by breaking the big, shiny box.

Speaking of which... what the hell? Who wants to drop a big, shiny box on our waterfront?  Hoboken is not Jersey City's Big Shiny Boxville- no offense.  But look at the crap next door!

KMS's design for this hotel is the architectural version of meatloaf. 

Our waterfront needs a signature piece of architecture. Something special. . Something that speaks to our City's unique character, our waterfront's storied past. NOT A SHINY BOX.  

This is a project worthy of a designer whose heart is in this city. 

GA nominates Hoboken's John Nastasi. 

Why Nastasi? Well, GA sat on the ZBA, and saw the projects of many architects. It's my own subjective POV, but his work is in a league of its own.  End of story.  

Please. That big, shiny box will last long after we're all dead. Let's put something special there.