By Joshua Burd
Plans for a new waterfront hotel in Hoboken are reportedly set to move forward after winning the support of the city’s new mayor.
In a news conference Tuesday, Mayor Ravi Bhalla announced that a developer will build a new 17-story, 270-room Hilton hotel in the parking lot behind a well-known post office on Sinatra Drive. KMS Development Partners will oversee the project, which is located near the southern end of the downtown and a block from the busy Hoboken Terminal.
The mayor touted the plans on Tuesday after previously criticizing a larger version of the proposed hotel, according to multiple published reports. If completed, it would be a few blocks south of the W hotel and alongside the Waterfront Corporate Center office and retail complex.
“This project will bring a world-class hotel to the City of Hoboken for the benefit of residents and visitors alike,” Bhalla said in a prepared statement. “When I ran for mayor I promised any hotel would be consistent with the height and scale of the Hoboken’s south waterfront, and with the character and charm of our community.”
A previously approved version of the plan allowed for a 24-story hotel.
The project also calls for upgrading the 87-year-old Frank Sinatra Post Office, according to The Jersey Journal and other outlets. The hotel, meantime, would include a rooftop bar and event space.
Bhalla also said the property would generate $1.7 million in annual tax revenue.
The project will have a clearer construction timeline after the city council votes on the plan at its April 4 meeting, according to The Jersey Journal.
