Hoboken Quality of Life Coalition

One of the goals of the Hoboken Quality of Life Coalition is to achieve the preservation of as many historic buildings in the city as possible. One set of those structures from the past that forms our very perception of the city, is the Neumann Leathers buildings on Observer Highway. The numerous talented and gifted tenants in those structures convinced the Hoboken Zoning Board that reuse of many of the buildings was in the best interests of the city. The Board in an unusual decision denied variances for a proposed project that would have razed the entire area. It was a great victory for preservation and reuse.

Now those tenants, grouped together under the name of the Neumann Leathers Tenants Association, are asking for financial help. The Quality of Life Coalition heartily supports this request and urges you to contribute whatever you are able.

Below and on the following pages see a letter from Tom Newman, Chairman of the Association who tells you more about the Association and how to contribute. You will be helping to preserve Hoboken as the historic and unique city that makes it a delight in which to live. Thank you.

Helen Manogue
Coordinator, QLC

Neumann Leathers Tenants Association
321 Newark St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
www.neumanntenants.org

April 17, 2009

Dear Friends of Neumann Leather:

Did you hear the news? At 12:42 a.m. on March 6th, at the end of a five and a half hour hearing – the eighth in a series that began last August – Hoboken’s Zoning Board voted unanimously to deny the application by Trammell Crow Residential to evict all tenants and tear down the Neumann Leather complex.

Several members of the Zoning Board were clearly on the fence coming into the meeting, as they revealed in their final comments that they were tempted by TCR’s proposal to clean up an “eyesore” and replace it with a pair of doughnut-shaped condo buildings. Many observers were betting on an approval.

What turned things around was testimony by the Neumann tenants (who had been waiting seven months for the opportunity), plus impassioned pleas from community members (including former City Council president, Richard DelBoccio), and a detailed legal argument by NLTA lawyer, Ira Karasick, that there was no basis for granting the requested “use” variances.

The Board was impressed by the size and quality of business and artistic activity at the complex.

Ultimately, our arguments for diversity, jobs (more than 200), cultural interest, and historic preservation won the day.

Neumann has won a reprieve. The city now has the opportunity to plan a responsible development on this three-acre site at its southern portal. It needs to be refurbished and retooled for 21st century. Our hope is that with this victory we can set a new course for the way redevelopment is carried out in Hoboken.

As you can imagine, this fight has been costly, mostly borne by the NLTA. The total cost for legal and expert representation was $46,000. So far we have raised (and spent) $37,000, the bulk of this coming from members’ dues. This puts us $9,000 in the hole – debts we must pay to the capable professionals who helped us win this battle.

Community support, both by individuals and groups like the Quality of Life Coalition and Hoboken Heritage, was a key factor in our victory. It was heartening to find so many people who saw our fight as theirs, too. Keeping a place for “arts and industry” – activities so embedded in Hoboken’s history – has become a cause worthy of the struggle.

It is with the hope that you, too, believe in this cause that we are asking for your help to defray our expenses. Wouldn’t you agree that Hoboken is a better, more interesting and vital city if it retains the kind of diversity of jobs and individuals that Neumann represents? Can you help us?

Thank you for your support,

Tom Newman, NLTA chairman

P.S.: Checks should be made out to “NLTA” and sent to our treasurer, Antoine Schapira, at 321 Newark St., Hoboken, NJ 07030.