April 8, 2002

Gated entrance to Stevens Institute of Techology: Private Property - No Trespassing

Entrance to Stevens Institute of Technology

In selling Stevens Institute's plans to expand their campus to the waterfront, President Hal Raveche has made glowing promises that a soccer stadium and Center for Maritime Systems will be open to the public. But the stone gate at the campus exclaims "Private Property - No Trespassing." Another sign reads, "All visitors must report immediately and directly to the campus police desk in the lobby of the Howe Center. Use of campus facilities is restricted to Stevens staff, students and their escorted guests. Dogs and other animals are strictly prohibited." Similar signs are posted elsewhere in Spanish.

Local stories abound about Hoboken residents who have been asked to leave campus and prohibited from using athletic facilities.

Stevens' lastest scheme for Maxwell House includes 17-story building and a variance forgiving over 600 required parking spots

Stevens Institute of Technology's "concept" plan for the Maxwell House site at Hoboken's north waterfront, originally presented as a low-scale project with considerable open space may now have grown to nearly a million square feet of development. Two of three residential towers exceed the zoning height restrictions. They are 12, 15 and 17 stories high. In addition to the residential units, Stevens is proposing a public high school and middle school for up to 800 students and a business-incubator operation. Although local zoning would require about 850 parkings spaces for such a project, Stevens is proposing to provide only 250. Stevens plans to seek variances from these parking requirements, thus causing as many as 600 additional cars to compete for the limited number of on-street parking spaces available in this neighborhood.

The Stevens' proposal would eliminate the portion of Frank Sinatra Drive running adjacent to Elysian Park and connecting to Hudson Street. Thus, most southbound traffic between 11th and 14th Streets on Hudson will continue south along Hudson rather than be diverted to Sinatra Drive. Likewise, most northbound traffic on Sinatra Drive will naturally continue along the waterfront in front of the Maxwell House and the Shipyard projects up to 14th or 15th Streets. The only way for traffic on either street to switch routes is to make two 90 degree turns at future, proposed intersections at 11th & Hudson Streets, and 11th & Sinatra Drive North.

Additional traffic problems will be created with Stevens' proposal for a private soccer stadium and running track at the Union Dry Dock site and a theater on the earthen peninsula at Maxwell House. Several of the more bizarre aspects of this project include a street that will tunnel under one of the "historic" buildings and car ramps outside of the building leading to the third story-parking garage for the residential buildings. The 17-story residential building on the eastern portion of this site will push Sinatra Drive North much closer to the river, thus eliminating much of the park proposed east of the roadway.

The Maxwell House property, a prime waterfront site, is one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in Hoboken. Since neither Stevens or the City owns this site, to build Stevens' proposal would require massive infusions of government funds to acquire and develop the land for its public uses. In contrast, the development proposal by the current owners of Maxwell House, which includes a five-acre public waterfront park, would be entirely built with private funds.