Daniel Gans of Hoboken Brownstone Company, Dean Marchetto of Dean Marchetto Architects and George Vallone of Hoboken Brownstone Company accept 2010 Smart Growth Award from New Jersey Future.
The development was voted best in the state in the Mixed-Use Waterfront Enhancement Category. The prestigious award was recently presented to Daniel Gans and George Vallone of Hoboken Brownstone Company, which was responsible for realizing the vision of Maxwell Place in conjunction with Dean Marchetto Architects and Toll Brothers, at the New Jersey Future’s 9th annual Smart Growth Awards ceremony held on June 2nd at the Newark Club.
Maxwell Place on the Hudson was one of six projects to be honored in different categories for their ability to create responsible housing and healthy living environments through smart growth and redevelopment.
“We’re delighted that Maxwell Place was recognized for its considerable contribution to the reemergence of Hoboken’s Hudson River as a public destination that draws both City residents and out of town visitors to one of our region’s historic natural treasures,” said Daniel Gans, Chief Executive Officer of locally-based Hoboken Brownstone Company.
“The successful realization of this project is a credit to the diligent work, vision, collaboration and commitment to excellence of a public and private partnership working cohesively in order to create a mixed-use destination that is for the good of the community at large. Without the desire of local government and community groups to establish working relationships with private companies, a project like Maxwell Place would never be possible.”
Hoboken Brownstone Company turned its attention to Maxwell Place in 1998, embarking on its largest venture to date – the redevelopment of the former Maxwell House Coffee property into over 800 condominiums and 210,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, the preservation of historic Elysian Fields, home to the first known baseball game, the creation of Hoboken’s largest park with a natural sand beach and the completion of a major section of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.
Working with former Hoboken Mayor David Roberts, then City Council and local community groups, the company preserved 6.5 acres of waterfront land and 10 acres of water formerly used for factory and manufacturing purposes as open space and created Maxwell Park, the largest Hudson River waterfront park in the City of Hoboken, which includes a boat launch, playing fields, a new 500 foot long fishing pier, children’s playground and dog run.
The most unique feature of the park was the restoration of a natural sand beach into one of Hoboken’s most popular waterfront attractions. One of the parks exceptional components – the re-creation of the original NY Yacht Club boat house that was home to the first America’s Cup and stood on the site in 1846 – was donated to the City for summer recreation programs.
“The philosophy of Hoboken Brownstone Company stresses a commitment to community enhancement endeavors in the urban neighborhoods where we introduce new home communities,” says George Vallone, who serves as President. “Maxwell Place continues that tradition with the creation of Maxwell Park, the largest public/private initiative in Hoboken’s history.
“We funded all of the $2 million cost of the park’s design, including providing the community with a staff of professionals such as landscape architects, engineers, and planners, to assist with the visioning of the park’s design. We also secured an $8.6 million Federal Grant to finish the location’s riverfront pedestrian walkway. We continue our involvement today by sponsoring small sailboat and kayak children’s summer camp programs and efforts to promote a clean Hudson River as a recreational destination.”
The architectural design of Maxwell Place creates a new urban village on the Hudson River waterfront consistent with the character and scale of the Hoboken landscape. The development features a mix of low-rise brownstone buildings combined with several high-rise towers held together with a contextual architecture of brick and stone. At the base of the buildings, retail space reinforces the village-like atmosphere, providing convenient services and restaurants. Parking levels are embedded behind the principal uses on the lower levels of all the building blocks so that garages are completely hidden from view.
Based in Hoboken, The Hoboken Brownstone Company is a multi-faceted real estate development firm which has been active along New Jersey’s Hudson River “Gold Coast” for nearly 30 years. The company takes a socially conscious approach towards development and is committed to community enhancement endeavors by introducing new home communities in urban locations that respect their surrounding neighborhoods and keep alive their historical validity.
For additional information on The Hoboken Brownstone Company, please call 201-792-3814 or visit www.hbrownstone.com.
CAHN PR 