save the arts in the arts district

PADNA ALERT – City poised to sell out yet again to Lloyd Goldman, eliminate MORE affordable housing in the PAD

In a shocking move, Jersey City’s legal team is asking the City Council (on one day’s notice) to amend a previous legal settlement that had required units of affordable housing on development proposed at 110 and 111 First Street in the Powerhouse Arts District.

These two properties have been bitterly disputed.  The location of two former warehouses, one of which housed an artists enclave until 2005, the city sued Goldman to keep him from tearing down the warehouse that housed the artists, saying it was a historic structure that should be preserved.  In what many consider to be a very one-sided settlement, the City agreed to let Goldman raze the warehouse and artist housing, and re-develop the property as a high rise, in exchange for 25 units of affordable housing to be built on the properties, and other concessions.

Yesterday, Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis proposed that the settlement be amended such that Goldman could make a $2.5 million contribution to the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, so that affordable units could be built not on his property but elsewhere in the city.  PADNA strongly opposes further capitulation to this developer.

PADNA supports affordable housing ON SITE and IN the district, in accordance with the PAD Redevelopment Plan.   PADNA strongly believes that the PAD Plan as written is viable zoning for the district, as evidenced by the existing rehabilitated properties and new construction, as well as planned development.

Please attend the City Council meeting tomorrow to voice your objection to further gutting of the PAD Redevelopment Plan.  The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St.

111 first street controversy

The City Council will vote tomorrow on the request by Lloyd Goldman to permit him to make a 2.5 million dollar contribution to the Affordable Housing Fund in lieu
of providing  25 units for affordable housing for artists  in his new construction at 110 and 111 Washington Street  in  the Powerhouse Artist District. So the Arts District is to be in name only?
He tore down an historic warehouse which housed dozens of artists, galleries and a vital arts community - the core of the future Arts District. The city required him  ( and all others building in the
district) to provide a percent of their new units as affordable housing for artists. Now the City Council is considering a request to gut this requirement . I understand that the money offered is

                             photo courtesy of Charles Kessler, left bank art blog

significant and the need for affordable housing is city-wide. However, the Arts are a very important economic, cultural and unifying element of pride in a city. The second largest city in New Jersey
now has no art museum. Are we going to destroy the nascent Arts District as well? Building a theater is wonderful. But an ARTS DISTRICT must have ARTISTS!!!

Please vote against this request to amend the current agreement.

Uta Brauser's message: come out in MASSES, tell your council how you feel about this matter,  PARTICIPATE

150 Bay, powerhouse arts district art holiday sale

Dec 10,   noon - 5 pm    150 bay street

various artists offer their work for a holiday sale:
gift wrap and jewelery
stained glass
paintings
stoneware pottery
t-shirts
photography

PADNA monthly meeting

monthly meeting for Powerhouse arts district neighborhood association. 7.30pm  at 140 bay street, warehouse cafe