Alert: LCOR planning to demolish Hoboken's historic Records Building

Hoboken's Records Buildings is designated on the National Register of Historic Places.

If Hoboken allows its historic architecture to be demolished at this pace (think Maxwell House and Wonder Bread factories), 10 years from now our city will look like Paramus.  It has come to GA's attention that LCOR plans to renege on it's reported promise to preserve and restore an irreplaceable piece of Hoboken history, on the Registry of National Historic Places, The Records Building- they are seeking to demolish it. 

GA learned of this matter from an email forwarded to me, with the above letter attached:

As many are already aware, Ann Holtzman’s office received a call from NJ Transit the early part of August asking what approvals they needed from the City to demolish the Records Building at the foot of Washington Street.  Members of the Hoboken Historic Preservation Commission and Administration immediately reached out to the NJ State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) asking for their assistance in addressing this threat.  They also reached out to various contacts at NJ Transit.  The NJ Transit re. Records Bldg letter above was sent as a formal response to NJ Transit’s inquiry.  NJ Transit did not respond to the City’s correspondence.  They did however proceed to submit a Section 106 inquiry and application to SHPO for approval to demolish the building.   

The Records Building is shown in the Railyards Redevelopment Plan as part of the rehabilitation area.  It is also mentioned in the text as a historic resource that LCOR agreed to preserve and restore for use as additional office space.  Rather than assume there is some sort of conspiracy here, it’s my impression that one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing, and NJ Transit just want the building gone because it is inconvenient to them.  The building has been so severely neglected over the past several years that it is in danger of structural failure.  As a result of NJ Transit’s demolition-by-neglect approach to this building, the cost of stabilizing and restoring it has risen dramatically.

On Tuesday evening, October 15th at the Multi-Service Center, there will be a public meeting with LCOR to review their proposed changes to the Redevelopment Plan.  New construction is clearly the focus of this meeting, but preservation of the Records Building was originally part of the agreed upon redevelopment plan, and while there are many amendments requested by LCOR, there has been no request from either LCOR or NJ Transit to remove the Records Building.  Anyone available to attend Tuesday is encourage to do so and raise questions about the Records Building.

Feel free to share this information with friends who care about preservation.  NJ Transit, LCOR and council members need to hear from the public on this matter.

The move to demolish the Records Building is entirely inconsistent with the intent of the current Amended Redevelopment Agreement.  But intent without specific language is unenforceable, and there is no language specifically prohibiting demolition of Hoboken's historic buildings in the  Amended Redevelopment Agreement. NONE.  If a developer is given sole "discretion" to choose whether or not to preserve one of Hoboken's historic treasures in lieu of big profits, what do you think will happen?   

The Hoboken City Council must not approve the current amended Redevelopment Agreement without language inserted that our historic architecture in the proposed redevelopment area will NOT BE DEMOLISHED.  

Further, LCOR should be asked to include the restoration of the records Building in either Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the proposed phase of the project as the adjacent proposed buildings which flank it to the east and west. 

The Redevelopment plan shows no work to the existing Records Building.

City must not allow demolition of our designated Historic Places in the LCOR redevelopment area.

Please spread the word.