The Sold Coast

A few quick notes on today’s news-story and editorial about tree removal in Fitzgerald-Holota Park:

• No matter how you feel about the disposability of trees that were there in the triangle – and that argument was made by many, and not only by those who consider Schenkman-Kushner model developers – you’d have to admit that the growing treelessness of Jersey City is becoming a serious problem. Every time there’s a new project Downtown (which is just about every day), the sidewalks fronting the lots under construction are deforested, scraped and hosed down. We’re starting to look like Ho Chi Minh City after a napalm attack.
• The Schenkman-Kushner building absurdly called “Grove Pointe” is not going to be a condo-only structure. There’ll be rental units in there, too. This according to my last conversation with the builders. The main problem with Grove Pointe (besides its name) is that it’s now clear that it’s going to be ugly as hell. At least that abandoned gymnasium had some dilapidated charm.
• Rikki wanted there to have been more community dialogue about the fate of the PATH Station Park. I’d advise her to be careful what she wishes for. Greenspace advocates are loud and occasionally even articulate, but I’m pretty sure the vast majority of Jersey City-ians couldn’t give a damn and will welcome any kind of restoration, no matter how many trees go down. Nobody liked the park the way it was; I think even the vagrants that used to panhandle there complained about it.
• There was community input in the Grove Point redevelopment: after community outcry, Schenkman-Kushner ended up working with the Harsimus Cove Association on the final plan, including and especially the park. What you’re looking at is the compromise.

And that, to me, really is the point. You can get the developers to knock a few stories off of their monstrosities, and plant a greensward, but when it comes down to it, it’s still going to look awful. Developments of this scale suck, and there’s nothing to be done about it. As long as Jersey City keeps approving hi-rises, we’re going to continue our slide into total unlivability.