HOBOKEN – One week shy of the 17th anniversary of NJ Transit’s selection of the developer for the project, state and local officials Wednesday finally marked the groundbreaking for a major construction plan revamping the area around Hoboken’s historic train station.

The Hoboken Connect project, as it’s now known, includes a 20-story office building, 5,000 square feet of retail space, an apartment building with nearly 400 new residential units, 20% of which will be set aside as affordable housing, pedestrian and bicycle access and more.

“The Hoboken Connect project will rehabilitate the history ferry terminal to add commercial and exhibition space, create a European market at Warrington Plaza,” said Mayor Ravi Bhalla.

The project will take more than five years for LCOR, its developer, to complete.

Conceptual rendering of redeveloped Warrington Plaza with public market and commercial uses associated with a rehabilitated ferry terminal building. (Image Credit: LCOR)
Conceptual rendering of redeveloped Warrington Plaza with public market and commercial uses associated with a rehabilitated ferry terminal building. (Image Credit: LCOR)
loading...

The state is contributing $176 million toward the project through the 2023 state budget. Among the things that will pay for include the construction of a new bus terminal on Hudson Place and major rehabilitation of the first and second floors of the Ferry Terminal.

Gov. Phil Murphy said the transformational impact of the development is particularly notable when connected with the Rebuild by Design climate-change resiliency work along the waterfront.

“Hoboken Connect is going to further challenge if not frankly entirely reset our very understanding of what it means to be a modern American coastal city in the 21st century,” Murphy said.

Gov. Phil Murphy announces groundbreaking of Hoboken Connect Project highlighting the $176 million in Fiscal Year 2023 Budget funds to improve public infrastructure on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 (NJOIT/NJ Governor’s Office/CJ McKenna)
Gov. Phil Murphy announces groundbreaking of Hoboken Connect Project highlighting the $176 million in Fiscal Year 2023 Budget funds to improve public infrastructure on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 (NJOIT/NJ Governor’s Office/CJ McKenna)
loading...

Tens of thousands of commuters travel through the Hoboken station daily. The terminal is served by nine NJ Transit rail lines, Metro North, NJ Transit and private buses, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, the PATH train and New York Waterway ferries.

“It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of this terminal to NJ Transit and its customers and to the continued economic vitality of the region,” said Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit president and chief executive officer.

Michael Symons is the Statehouse bureau chief for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at michael.symons@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

Where everyone knows your name: Friendliest bars in NJ

LOOK: What are the odds that these 50 totally random events will happen to you?

Stacker took the guesswork out of 50 random events to determine just how likely they are to actually happen. They sourced their information from government statistics, scientific articles, and other primary documents. Keep reading to find out why expectant parents shouldn't count on due dates -- and why you should be more worried about dying on your birthday than living to 100 years old.

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM