here - Marchetto Higgins Stieve Architects

The Estuary is a new mid-rise residential development located at on the
Hudson River waterfront at Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, New Jersey. The
project is comprised of three separate structures containing 589 residential
units organized into three new residential blocks around a common open
space. This new development replaces a surface parking lot and inserts itself
into an otherwise commercial office park instantly transforming Lincoln
Harbor into a mixed-use neighborhood. Combined with Lincoln Harbor’s NY
Waterway ferry stop and the Hudson Bergen Light Rail station at its doorstep,
along with the site’s direct access to the Lincoln Tunnel, the Estuary is truly a
place where one would not need to rely on a car. Lincoln Harbor has two office
towers, several restaurants, a hotel, a marina and a river front walkway. The
introduction of rental housing into Lincoln Harbor signals a more sustainable
future for this vital site on the NJ waterfront.
Project Statistics:
Year Built: 2015
Location: Lincoln Harbor, Weehawken, NJ
Site Area............................ 6.3 acres
Retail Area......................... 400 SF
Residential Units................ 589 Units
Parking.............................. 651 Spaces
Completed ........................ 2015
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The Estuary is located in Lincoln
Harbor, Weehawken, a former landfilled
industrial site with coveted views of
Manhattan. Over the years, Lincoln
Harbor has been transforming from a
port and railroad yard into a mixed-use
community. The images below illustrate
this transformation. Redevelopment of
this area started in the 1980s with the
creation of two large office buildings.
1887
Lincoln Harbor is located in one of the
densest regions of the country, making
the setting unmistakably urban. The
views of the New York City skyline
from Lincoln Harbor are spectacular
and are sought after by both local
residents and Manhattan commuters.
Despite its undeniably urban setting,
the redevelopment that took place in
Lincoln Harbor in the late 1980’s used a
1950
suburban model. Prior to the completion
of The Estuary, 50% of the 24 acres that
comprise Lincoln Harbor were used for
surface parking. Noticeably, the early
growth patterns of Lincoln Harbor did
not embrace its urban nature. The
development team for The Estuary set
out to change that by incorporating
Smart Growth principles.
1987
In the early 1990’s the NY Waterway
opened a ferry stop in Lincoln Harbor
connecting it to Midtown Manhattan. In
2004 NJ Transit completed the HudsonBergen Light Rail Station giving Lincoln
Harbor transit access to Hoboken’s Path
Station and train terminal. The creation
of these pieces of transit infrastructure
made a Smart Growth development at
Lincoln Harbor possible. By building
a dense residential development
2015
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THE ESTUARY
CONTEXT
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within walking distance to the ferry and
directly adjacent to a light rail stop, The
Estuary aligns itself with the Hudson
County master plan goal to “encourage
development at densities that support
mass transit and encourage transitoriented development near existing or
proposed transit facilities.”
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Manhattan
Key Map
1. Southwest Parking Lot
2. Sheraton Hotel
3. NY Waterway Ferry
4. UBS Office Building
5. Office Building
6. Lincoln Harbor Light Rail Station
7. Surface Parking
8. Estuary Building B
9. Estuary Building A
10. Estuary Building C
11. Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
12. Public Pier
13. Chart House Restaurant
14. Lincoln Harbor Yacht Charter
15. Lincoln Harbor Marina
16. Riva Pointe Condominiums
The Estuary’s three buildings also have
green roofs and are LEED Silver Certified,
which adheres to the goal of the Hudson
County master plan to, “Promote the
use of green building design to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, reduce
storm water run-off and non-point
source pollution, and the urban heat
island affect.”
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THE ESTUARY
IMPLEMENTATION & IMPACT
The design process began in 2010 and
went through a rigorous approval process
at the Weehawken Planning Board. The
architects felt it was extremely important
to create a new residential neighborhood,
not just another residential tower in an
office park. Accordingly, the site was
organized into three residential sized urban
blocks offering smaller scale buildings
with a common space between them.
Detailed brick facades with alternating
bay windows, projecting cornices,
punched window openings, sustainable
materials, and other architectural details
characterize the exterior design of the
buildings. These elements break down
the scale of the buildings referencing the
rhythm and scale of brick row houses
and brownstones typical of most Hudson
County neighborhoods.
Resident parking is located on the ground
floor and is outlined by the lobbies,
entries, and amenities along the common
open space shared by the three buildings.
Outdoor recreation decks were positioned
on the second floor and oriented toward
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the views of Manhattan and the Hudson
River. At the ground level, the designed
open space between the buildings
was conceived as a landscaped village
green offering visitor parking. This park
like space links directly to the Hudson
River Waterfront Walkway encouraging
walkability for pedestrians and offering
cyclists’ connections to communities to
the north and Hoboken to the south. This
is truly a place where the car can stay in
the garage all week or better yet, a place
where car ownership is not
even necessary.
Completed in 2015, The Estuary
significantly expands the range of
housing options available in Lincoln
Harbor. The Estuary is the first addition
of rental housing, in an area that already
has condominiums, offices, hotel, marina,
and retail. This new neighborhood has
increased the local tax base and adjacent
property values and linked the public,
village green space to the very successful
Hudson River Waterfront Walkway which
encourages walkability.
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THE ESTUARY
IMPLEMENTATION & IMPACT
The Wall Street Journal article helps
explain the context of the project and
the impact it makes on the region.
impact on Weehawken and offers New
York City dwellers an amenity filled
alternative at a more cost effective
price point.
Ultimately transforming a surface
parking lot into a successful waterfront
community serves as a very positive
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THE ESTUARY
IMPLEMENTATION & IMPACT
The Estuary - Building C
The Estuary - Building A
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THE ESTUARY
CHALLENGES
The Estuary dealt with three
major challenges:
1. Preserving views of the NYC skyline
from the Lincoln Tunnel Helix.
2. Working around the Amtrak
rail tunnel.
3. Protecting the community
from flooding.
New York City
1. By far the most controversial
challenge we faced was how to preserve
views of the NYC skyline from the
Lincoln Tunnel helix. For commuters
traveling by car, the spectacular view
from the helix, “is the reward for
enduring one of the most aggravating
commutes in America”. Many upset
commuters were quoted and published
in papers such as the New York Times
and Star Ledger. To protect this view,
the State created a law that prevents
buildings in Lincoln Harbor from rising
to a certain height. We overcame this
challenge by working rigorously to
maximize density of the site, without
violating the “Sight Line”. The buildings
step down as they get closer to the
Hudson River, as can be seen in the
elevation below.
Precious waterfront acres should be
optimized, utilizing every square foot
to create a mixed-use, transit oriented,
sustainable community. The mayor
echoed this, by saying, “When people
talk about losing views, my answer
always is: move here”.
While preserving views for Lincoln
Tunnel commuters is important, leaving
a desirable urban waterfront property
underdeveloped is not smart growth.
The resulting form of the building came
about by working hard to negotiate
between the local community’s desire
for a mixed-use, transit oriented,
NJDEP Regulated Sight Line
Lincoln Tunnel Helix
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THE ESTUARY
CHALLENGES
(continued)
sustainable neighborhood, and the State
of New Jersey’s desire to preserve views
from the Lincoln Tunnel Helix.
2. Running directly beneath The Estuary
site is the Amtrak Rail tunnel that
connects New Jersey to Manhattan.
Building above this tunnel is prohibited
so we had to make sure that the site
plan accommodated this easement. This
challenge resulted in the creation of a
“village green” and plaza above the tunnel
which is framed by each of the Estuary
buildings. The plaza provides additional
public space and visitor parking. A photo
of the plaza space can be seen on the
next page. This is a good example of how
sensitive design can turn a challenge into
a community amenity.
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THE ESTUARY
CHALLENGES
(continued)
3. Located on the edge of the Hudson
River, the site’s flood prone nature was
another challenge that needed to be
addressed. Hurricane Sandy emphasized
the site’s condition and demanded
a solution to flooding before adding
additional structures to the property.
Proactive design resulted in elevating
the ground level of each building above
flood levels. The mechanical rooms were
positioned above the base flood elevation
and green roofs were installed to help
detain storm water during heavy rainfall
which helps alleviate flash flooding in the
surrounding area.
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THE ESTUARY
PARTNERSHIPS
The project was developed jointly by
the owner Hartz Mountain Industries
and the Roseland Property Company.
Key to that effort was Leonard Stern,
Gus Milano, Vincent Antonacci, AIA and
Allen Magrini, from Hartz Mountain
along with Marshall Tycher, Deb
Tantleff, and Andy Marshall from the
Roseland Property Company.
On the design team Dean Marchetto,
Bruce Stieve, and Mike Higgins were
largely responsible for the site plan
and architectural design while Tom
Carmen of Mellilo & Bauer headed up
the landscape architecture. In order to
create a vision for the site we worked
closely with the property owner and
the community of Weehawken. Key to
that effort was the Mayor of Weehawken,
Richard Turner, along with the town
Planning Board.
commuters, The Estuary’s team was able
to commit, design, and construct an
exemplary Smart Growth neighborhood.
Each of these stakeholders brought
significant expertise and strong interest in
developing a Smart Growth neighborhood.
After listening to the public and the
concerns from the Lincoln Tunnel
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THE ESTUARY
LESSONS LEARNED
Urban waterfronts are typically
complex sites and The Estuary’s site
is no exception. The Estuary is an
example of a how a project can be
successful by embracing its complexity.
By intelligently navigating pieces of
regional infrastructure, protecting the
view-shed and addressing flooding
issues, we turned site challenges into a
successful and sustainable mixed-use
neighborhood. This project exemplifies
how great design can be incorporated to
overcome difficult challenges.
We learned that Lincoln Tunnel’s
commuters have a strong voice and sight
lines influence neighbors at all elevations.
We learned that existing infrastructure
can inspire and promote creative thinking
resulting in different but comprehensive
ideas for environments. We learned
that designing a sustainable, resilient
structure and connecting it with existing
transit and walkways increases property
values, walkability, and ultimately, a
better quality of life. We learned that a
waterfront office park is better positioned
when coupled with a residential
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THE ESTUARY
LESSONS LEARNED
(continued)
component and we made strides to
influence and change the master plan for
the remainder of Lincoln Harbor.
Most of all we learned that smart growth
and sustainability creates value, which
people desire and are willing to pay for,
as is evidenced by the record-breaking
leasing of the buildings at 100%.
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PUBLICATIONS
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PUBLICATIONS
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PUBLICATIONS
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