A multipurpose bond ordinance to be considered by City Council next week includes $165,000 for equipment and improvements for a police community assistance center currently undergoing renovations on East Cherry Street. The governing body is scheduled to approve several bond ordinances at its meeting on April 11.
The $1-million bond ordinance, which includes the purchase of various equipment and improvements, calls for a down payment of $8,250 and issuing $156,750 in bonds. The city acquired the former Beverage Shop building at 52 E. Cherry St. last spring from the Rahway Center Partnership for $80,000 and plans for the police center were announced last fall.
The $165,000 is for “pretty much everything we need to open the building as a police facility,” said Police Chief John Rodger, including furniture and equipment, such as IT infrastructure, for a 30-capacity conference room. Rodger said the interior has been slightly redesigned and the Juvenile Detective Bureau will be moved into the building full time. The video system for East Cherry Street also will be moved there and cameras will be added for Lot B and the driveway accessing it from East Cherry Street.
Renovations to the center have counted on donations to this point, said Rodger, estimating that less than $15,000 has been spent so far. Pending expenses including flooring, ceiling and Sheetrock work, the chief said, adding that he’s working on getting all material donated for the electrical work as well as volunteers from an electrical union to do the work.
This Wall Street Journal story from last week, All Not Cake on Hoboken’s Washington Street, indicates that even everyone’s favorite cool city is having some difficulty when it comes to retail tenants. About a dozen storefronts along an eight-block stretch of downtown are currently closed, though some new tenants are on the way, according to the WSJ story. Rents vary, with spaces closer to the train station more expensive, as much as $100 per square foot while uptown locations rent for as little as $2 or $3 per foot.
"The governing body is scheduled to approve several bond ordinances at its meeting on April 11."That statement shows just how the city council meetings & votes are just a rubber stamp.Do they ever vote NO to anything?
Will it be a facility where the public can assist the police solve all kinds of capers like who forgot to fix the train station stairs, and who burned down the apartments under construction?
I know Jeff Spatola has Donated his plumbing expertise to the effort . For nothing in return . Atta Boy Jeff !!
FOR NOTHING IN RETURN? Maybe he believes in the project and likes helping his community. THAT IS SOMETHING, and he should be proud of it.
My apologies. That came across the wrong way. What I was trying to express is that we are very proud of him and his contributions to the community
Well it is nice they are donating time to help with the project, so cheers to you. You can't compare Hoboken to our area. I lived near there and I consider it an overpriced Main Street full of yuppies. Good luck trying to have a nice dinner and then having to keep running back & forth to fill the parking meter with quarters.