The City of Bayonne, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and New York Waterway held a groundbreaking ceremony on December 17 at the future location of the Bayonne-New York ferry.  That parcel is located on the southern side of the former Military Ocean Terminal, about one mile east of the main part of Bayonne.  The future terminal will be located next to a former military motel, located at 51 Port Terminal Boulevard. 

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Mayor Davis signs purchase and sale agreement:  Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis signs purchase and sale agreement for buying back a parcel of land from the Port Authority for a ferry terminal.  Pictured left to right: Joseph Skillender, Jr., Bayonne Director of Planning, Zoning and Development, and Mayor Jimmy Davis.

          Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis has signed the purchase and sale agreement to repurchase a parcel of land from the Port Authority for a ferry terminal.  Mayor Davis said, “I am very happy that we are one step closer to completing this real estate transaction, which will help us achieve our goal of ferry service for the people of Bayonne.”

For a purchase price of $4.4 million, the City of Bayonne has obtained 2.3 acres at the former Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne (MOTBY), which juts out two miles into Upper New York Bay from Bayonne’s eastern waterfront.  Of that parcel, 1.6 acres will provide space for the ferry terminal and parking.  The remaining 0.7 acre will continue the Hudson Riverfront Walkway along the southern shore of the former MOTBY.   An adjoining private property owner, Lincoln Equities, is contributing an acre of additional land for the ferry project in return for building the UPS Facility.  The terminal will be located about halfway out the former MOTBY, approximately one mile east of the Bayonne mainland.

Plans for the ferry terminal are in the final design phase.  The parking lot for the ferry passengers is expected to be 1.4 acres in size, with approximately 130 parking spaces.  The number of parking spaces will depend on design, layout, drainage requirements, and other factors.   The City of Bayonne has issued a request for proposals/request for qualifications (RFP/RFQ) for constructing the ferry building and operating the terminal. 

In a previous attempt at establishing a ferry service, the City of Bayonne selected Seastreak as the operator.  However, the time for that selection expired, so the City of Bayonne has gone out to bid again for a ferry operator.  The municipality’s goal is to select a ferry company by March or April 2025. 

Mayor Davis concluded, “I am very happy that we have the contract with Port Authority to buy this land so that Bayonne will have our own terminal and control our own destiny.  This purchase will make it easier for us to achieve our goal of ferry service for our great community.”

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       New Bayonne Fire Department Battalion Chiefs:  Mayor Jimmy Davis and the Fire Department leadership posed with the department’s newly promoted battalion chiefs (BC’s). Pictured left to right: Mayor Jimmy Davis, Fire Chief Keith Weaver, BC Christopher Czuba, BC Theodore Wolf, BC Michael Smith, BC Edward Ratyniak, BC Roger Nunez, BC Marcial Pivano, Deputy Fire Chief William Bartos, and Public Safety Director Robert Kubert. 

      New Bayonne Fire Department Captains:  Mayor Jimmy Davis and the Fire Department leadership posed with the department’s new captains: Mayor Davis, Fire Chief Keith Weaver, Captain Steven Pilanski, Captain Timothy Lynch, Captain James Pilger, Captain David Sisk, Captain Brian Petty, Captain Jeffrey Spengler, Captain Thomas Weber, Captain Richard Baccarella, Captain Michael Visone, Captain Brian Cotter, Captain Kevin Pietranico, Deputy Chief William Bartos, and Public Safety Director Robert Kubert. 

    The new battalion chiefs are Christopher Czuba, Theodore Wolf, Michael Smith, Edward Ratyniak, Roger Nunez, and Marcial Pivano.

           Battalion Chief Christopher Czuba is a graduate of Bayonne High School. He earned a degree in HVAC Technology at Lincoln Technical Institute. He was appointed to the Bayonne Fire Department in 1999. His extensive training and certifications include: Hazardous Material Tech, Confined Space, Fire Officer 2, Fire Official, and Fire Investigator.  He has earned several awards including Unit Citations for rescue on June 6, 2004 on 30^th St. and Kennedy Blvd., and a Team Effort Award from the Cooperman Barnabas Burn Center for the rescue of a person who was trapped in rising floodwaters of Hurricane Ida in September 2021.

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Mayor Mark A. Smith announced that contractors working on the Port Authorityâ€s “Raise the Bridge Project” damaged a sewer main on West 5th Street, west of Kennedy Boulevard last week. A Port Authority contractor cut into an active sewer line by accident, because the sewer line was designated as “abandoned” and not in service on their contract plans.

Heavy rains on Thursday evening caused some basements to flood with sewage, due to the inability of the severed sewer main to drain water from the area.

Mayor Mark Smith instructed the Bayonne Fire Department to respond and pump the affected basements. The Mayor also had the Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority and their contractor, United Water, respond to investigate the cause of the damage and assist in helping people recover. Mayor Smith spoke with representatives of the Port Authority and they agreed that the affected residents would have their homes cleaned out and disinfected by an independent contractor, and the Port Authority would oversee the immediate repair of the broken sewer and remediating the impact to residents.

The Bayonne MUA and United Water arranged for bypass pumping to restore service to the affected homes.  Employees of both entities remained on site while the system was being bypassed to assure that there was no interruption in residential service. The Port Authorityâ€s contractor is expected to make repairs early this week. Acting in response to Mayor Mark Smith, the Port Authorityâ€s plumbing contractor will be on site on Monday to snake out the service lines from the homes to the street, and a dumpster will be delivered for residents to use.   The Port Authority has responded quickly to oversee immediate repairs and will remain on site until the situation is remediated for all impacted residents.

Mayor Smith has obtained the Port Authorityâ€s assurance that all affected residents will have their situation addressed expeditiously and at no cost to those residents.      Anyone with questions about this situation may contact the Port Authority at 855-265-5482.

 

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     Bayonne’s Mayor Mark A. Smith recently announced that his Administration will present a proposal for a Shop Bayonne Card that would encourage people to shop locally and save on their property taxes at the same time.  Mayor Smith said, “Bayonne stores and professional services need to increase their numbers of customers, and Bayonne property owners can reduce their tax bills.  The Shop Bayonne Card will achieve both goals.  We are very excited about this proposal, which will be a win-win for the people of Bayonne.”  Mayor Smith thanked Second Ward Council Member Joseph Hurley for bringin this program to my attention.”

            This spring, the City of Bayonne will mail Shop Bayonne Cards to every known household in the community.  The cards will appear similar to credit and debit cards, complete with a magnetic strip on the reverse side.  Mayor Smith explained, “They can be used only at participating Bayonne businesses.”  Smith continued, “Each participating enterprise will offer its own percentage of the purchase price, which will be transferred into a special property tax reduction fund for each cardholder. When Bayonne residents receive the cards in the mail, they would need to activate them before taking them to local stores and offices.”  The cards must be registered online at www.propertytaxcard.com.  Every time a resident shops at a participating merchant and they swipe the card, the amount of the discount will be registered on the Internet.  Consumers will be able to check their progress online throughout the year.   

            Renters and others who don’t own Bayonne properties would have the option of receiving the discounts in the form of annual rebate checks.”  Mayor Smith observed, “In that way, the card can benefit everyone. On the propertytaxcard.com website, shoppers will be able to check for available discounts and track progress of savings.  This is another tool that local businesses can use to gain a competitive advantage.  It is an example of our commitment to our businesses.”

           Mayor Smith concluded, “The Shop Bayonne Card will produce great economic benefits for consumers and businesses alike.  I would like to encourage all Bayonne shoppers and businesses to participate in this great new program.”

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Inside the apartments, residents have it all. Every stylish apartment home comes with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, a chef’s island or breakfast bar with pendant lighting, European-inspired flat panel cabinets with stainless pulls and wood-finished flooring, well-designed living spaces including available built-in shelving and computer niches, 9′ ceilings, generous closet space, keyless entry systems, two inch plantation blinds and some apartment homes offer private courtyard patios or balconies.
With one of the few remaining waterfront locations in the area, Alexan CityView offers unobstructed views across the Hudson River of the Manhattan skyline and The Statue of Liberty. Alexan CityView’s unbeatable location is within walking distance of several dining and retail options, including a grocery store. Alexan CityView is also within close proximity to the Newark International Airport and all major transportation arteries.
Alexan CityView is on track to be one of the largest LEED-certified residential buildings in the United States and the largest LEED-certified residential building in the Northeastern United States; slated to receive a Silver rating. Alexan CityView also features ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and programmable thermostats, passing on savings to its residents.
The 544 pet-friendly apartment home community offers studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments; as well as spacious townhomes. Structured garage parking is available, and the resident’s first space is free.
Alexan CityView is the first in a series of new buildings transforming the Bayonne landscape. It was developed by Trammell Crow Residential.
The combination of location and upscale features is sure to add new life to the Bayonne area at unbelievably reasonable rental rates. For more information please visit http://alexancityview.comor call (201) 455-5825.

 

visit www.AlexanCityView.com

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Light Rail Ground-Breaking: At 8th Street in Bayonne, NJ Transit leaders and several federal, state, county, and municipal officials took part in a ceremony that marked the start of construction of the latest Light Rail extension. During the next two years, the Light Rail tracks will be extended southward from 22nd Street to 8th Street.  A viaduct will be built to carry the rail line from 11th Street to 8th Street.  A new station will be built at 8th Street and Avenue C.  Completion of the project is expected in 2010.  (Photo credit: Kimberly Lewis. )

On October 15, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and Congressman Albio Sires
joined NJ Transit Executive Director Richard Sarles and Bayonne Mayor Terrence Malloy to break ground on a project to extend Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service farther into a new station at 8th Street.

    At the ceremony, Malloy pointed out that the new 8th Street station will be only one block from the downtown shopping district.  By extending the Light Rail to 8th Street, Malloy said, NJ Transit would be uniting Bayonne with the rest of the waterfront communities.  He predicted an “economic
renaissance” for Bayonne.
    In a statement before the ceremony, U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg said,
“With New Jerseyans forced to deal with congestion and high gas prices, we
need options that get cars off the road and help people spend less time in
traffic.”  He continued, “By securing more than a billion dollars in federal
funding for this light rail line along our Hudson Waterfront, we are making
rail available to more commuters in our state – and improving our quality of life.”
    Speaking at 8th Street, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez recalled when the
Light Rail system was “simply a vision” and not yet a reality.  He credited
Congressman Sires for his support of mass transit in the House of
Representatives.  Menendez also thanked New Jersey Transit for building the Light Rail “on time and on budget.”  Citing a Rutgers University study,
Menendez said that the Light Rail system had led to the construction of
10,000 housing units and the creation of “walkable communities.”  Overall,
Menendez praised the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail for producing jobs, easier
commutes, and cleaner air.  He called for extending the train line to the
Meadowlands.
    Congressman Albio Sires thanked Menendez for supporting mass transit during his years on the Transportation Committee in the House of Representatives.
Sires said he was looking for additional mass transit benefits for this
area, and had brought Chairman Jim Oberstar of the House Transportation
Committee to Hudson County to show him local transit needs.  Before the
Light Rail system was planned, Sires said, an earlier transportation concept
for the region was a bus line.  He observed that this area is really “fit
for a train” instead.  Sires endorsed the idea of a Light Rail link from
Hudson County to the Meadowlands.
    State Senator Sandra Cunningham called the 8th Street extension “a
wonderful addition to Bayonne” that allows for easier commutes to New York City and Jersey City.  She applauded the concept of building a new 8th
Street station that would be modeled after the old one.
    Assemblyman and Council Member At-Large Anthony Chiappone recalled passing the old 8th Street station when he walked to grammar school.  He predicted that the 8th Street rail line would “enhance property values.”  Chaippone thanked the federal and state governments for supporting the construction of the Light Rail system.
    Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise recalled Bayonneâ€s “wonderful past,” and said that “investments like this [Light Rail] ensure a great future.” Citing the population growth of cities, DeGise advocated mass transit systems that “put people where jobs are.” He thanked Menendez and Sires for their help with transit issues. DeGise said, “The only thing better than a
ground-breaking is a ribbon-cutting.”
    In April 2008, the NJ Transit Board of Directors awarded a $58.4 million
contract to George Harms Construction, Inc. of Howell, NJ, for work to
extend the rail line one mile from its current southern terminus at 22nd
Street.  The project includes the design and construction of foundations
viaduct structure, track work, intersection improvements, a new station
building, landscaping, lighting, and customer amenities.
    From the elevated 22nd Street station, the light rail tracks will be
extended south, hugging the existing Conrail right-of-way along Avenue E. 

A viaduct will carry light rail vehicles over local streets to an elevated
platform at the new 8th Street Station, which will feature an elevator and
stairs between street and platform levels.
    As a result of community meetings, the station will be located at Avenue C
and 8th Street, with architecture reminiscent of the old Central Railroad of
New Jersey station that once stood near the site.
    The project is expected to be completed in 2010.  Once open, 8th Street
will be the 24th Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station.

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