Neighbors,
It's been some time since I last connected with you here, and thought I’d take a few minutes to provide you with a few important neighborhood updates and also fill you in on some big news for me, personally.
Relocation of the Public Works Garage: Last month we officially signed a deal to purchase the Academy Bus property in the far northwestern portion of the city in order to relocate our municipal garage from the First Ward. This plan is a win for everyone, as the property comes with a pre-existing garage and gives us future opportunities to program the remaining space to meet the needs of the community and Northwest Redevelopment Plan. I was proud to work with the administration and stakeholders to bring all parties to the table.
A European Style Market at Lackawanna Terminal. Late last year, I was proud to stand with Governor Murphy and Mayor Bhalla to announce the investment of $182 million in federal funds to historically preserve our train terminal and build a European-style market, similar to Chelsea Market in NYC and Redding Terminal in Philadelphia. Planning is already underway and we will be announcing a tour of the facility in the coming weeks to elicit community feedback.
Court Street Rehabilitation. Court Street is Hoboken’s most historic street, but unfortunately, has fallen into disrepair over the decades; it fails to meet ADA accessibility requirements and has become a breeding ground for vermin from neighboring restaurants. By working collaboratively, we secured over $3 million to replan the street and preserve it historically. We recently wrapped up a community survey and will be sharing plans for the final design in the coming weeks.
While all of this is exciting, I also wanted to take this opportunity to share some personal news with you.
Over the past 13 years, I’ve had the privilege of serving the City of Hoboken, first as a Zoning Board Commissioner and for the past 8 years as your City Councilperson. I’ve grown so much since my first swearing in at 26 years old, and like many, life has taken me in so many new and exciting directions. Many of you know I work as a media executive in the private sector as my “day job.” Over the past three years, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to grow in my professional career, leading social justice awareness campaigns for a major media brand and being nominated for 7 Emmy Awards.
With my current term nearing its end, I’ve had a lot to think about: what’s best for the City and what’s best for me, personally and professionally. After months of consideration and reflection, I have come to terms with the fact that my current schedule can no longer support both endeavors full-time, without one impacting the other.
So today, I'm announcing I will not be seeking re-election this November.
This decision was not an easy one, and it's one I've struggled with for some time. Though it is with a heavy heart that I close this chapter, I feel confident in saying we’ve brought “New Energy and New Ideas” to Hoboken, together. In addition to the massive successes I’ve listed above: bringing a European-style market, relocating the public works garage and historically preserving Court Street, we’ve changed the political conversation and Hoboken, by:
🖼️ Bringing public art to Hoboken.
🚗 Implementing a $2 million street safety plan along the Newark Street Corridor
☕️ Reactivating vacant kiosks on Pier A
👩🎨 Supporting programs for makers and creators, like the upcoming Neumann Leathers Factory rehab project, protecting artists indefinitely into the future.
🚨 Eliminating predatory parking enforcement policies (like the infamous boot)
💰Fighting against unjust tax hikes and large-scale government.
🚶♂️Making Hoboken more pedestrian friendly and multi-modal through programs like CitiBike
🏦 Updating zoning to make the city more friendly for mom and pops, resulting in over 30 new businesses over the last 3 yrs.
🏞️ Working across the political divide to acquire Union Dry Dock and expanded park space in the N/W and S/W parts of town
🏳️🌈 And, as the only LGBTQ+ elected official, championing equality in Hoboken.
And I’m so damn proud of it all!
Hoboken has always been my adopted hometown - it's where I began my career fresh out of college, discovered my passion for public service, and built lifelong friendships. Thank you for trusting me to be your representative on the City Council for the past eight years. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms. And thank you for being part of the most important and meaningful years of my life, so far. Though I’m moving on from elected life, I plan to stay actively involved, especially in the historic rehabilitation of our train terminal over the next few years.
I’m sure many of you will have questions and speculations about what’s next for the First Ward, and I’ll be happy to share more thoughts with you in the coming weeks. But for now, I am putting politics aside to focus on serving as your Councilman through the end of the year. My inbox is always open, and will continue to be even at the end of this term.
All my best and talk soon!