This is what Trump Plaza, Jersey City, looks like today, from my office window (click to enlarge). The development has two towers, which will be the tallest residential buildings in New Jersey, but they're building only one tower now. According to a story in the New York Times, they'll start the other tower later, after a large percentage of the first tower is sold. (Nice! Nothing like ongoing construction in your face for your first couple of years in your expensive condo in Jersey City!) The Times story also talks about the luxury amenities available in the Trump building, as well as in the W Condominium in Hoboken.
Here's the Emporis page for the complex.
The image to the right is what the site looked like in April (click to enlarge).
Jersey City is quite the happening place, as noted in New York Magazine. Curbed had a panoramic view of all the construction; from my office, we can see seven separate reseidential projects (one of which appears in the background in this picture), and possibly the sites of an eighth and ninth. It's still a wateland compared to my old office in SoHo, but I make more money and I'm happier now.
Trump's building could very
possibly lose its river view if the lots between it and the river are
developed some day, and development of that lot is definitely part of
Mack-Cali's plan for Harborside Financial Center. If I were buying an expensive condo, in Jersey City, I would want to manage that risk. But that's just me. In this image (click to enlarge), notice Plaza 6 and 7, which are as yet undeveloped. Those are the buildings that could block Trump's view.
What's that across the street from the Trump condos? That's the old Hudson and Manhattan Powerhouse, which used to provide power for the old Hudson Tubes, now called the PATH. It's beautiful and historic, and its future is uncertain. I guess it's cool if you like to look at beautiful and historic toxic-waste sites with active transformer farms in front of them. Maybe it will stay like that forever, or maybe it will be developed into something.
This neighborhood is called WALDO (Work and Live District Overlay, whatever that means) or the Powerhouse Arts District or the Warehouse Historic District. Here's a flickr photoset.
It would seem, however, that things aren't going so well for the concept of the Powerhouse Arts District. An arts advocacy group is upset that developers with money to sue Jersey City are able to do whatever they want. In fact, if you look between the Trump Plaza and the Powerhouse in today's picture, you can see an old warehouse which just last week had its roof removed. I figure it's going to either be demolished, and replaced with a tower, or converted into condos. Considering that it's more lucrative to go tall, I think the likely outcome is clear.
You have to admire Trump and his ambition. If he can bring more jobs and employment to Jersey, then why not? Capitalism is what we're all about, right?
Posted by: NJ Guy | November 18, 2008 at 03:29 PM