A night view of Jersey City’s Ellipse apartment tower with the bright wave of lights, from Pier 45, Manhattan. Photo by Chris Manis.
By Brian J. Pape, AIA, LEED-AP
This is a call to action!
In recent years, the entire Lower West Side of Manhattan has been plagued by the glaring harsh nighttime lights on the largest of the new apartment buildings that sprouted up in Jersey City. We call on you to write letters to the developer and the media to get them to turn off the damned lights.
Jersey City’s transformation from an industrial railhead to a metropolis dates back over 30 years, with developers expanding this area’s density, which currently claims to be the largest mixed-use community in the country. The city’s growth is extraordinary, with 42 residential projects of 100 units or more each, totaling nearly 20,000 apartment units in five years, and another 13,400 units projected within 10 years after that, according to the Jersey City Division of Planning.
The LeFrak Organization’s developments on Jersey City’s northern Hudson River waterfront includes the 43-story Ellipse, with 363 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor at 25 Park Lane South, Jersey City. Ellipse is the 17th residential building in the Newport section of Jersey City, with plans designed by acclaimed Miami-based architects Arquitectonica, approved back in 2007. One year after the leasing launch, the rental tower was fully leased, with a penthouse leased the day it hit the market for $11,000 a month, and rent for a Studio at $2500, 2-BRs for $5000.
The LeFrak Organization is a New York City-based, privately-held, family-run company that owns, develops, and manages real estate. The company also operates a private equity fund, acquiring private businesses, a hedge fund that trades in securities, and an energy firm, through its holdings of oil and gas wells and mineral rights. The company formerly specialized in no-frills residential developments, including Battery Park City, LeFrak City in Queens, and Newport in Jersey City. Main offices are at 40 West 57th Street, 23rd Floor New York, NY 10019, (212) 246-1172 Website Other offices are at 13720 45th Ave, Flushing, NY 11355 (718) 359-1746, and 9728 57th Ave, Flushing, NY 11368. : .
Here is a letter example, if you choose to contact LeFrak and media.
Richard LeFrak
Lefrak Organization
40 West 57th Street, 23rd Floor New York, NY 10019
Lefrak Organization
13720 45th Ave, Flushing, NY 11355
Ellipse Leasing Office
121 Town Square Place,
Jersey City, NJ 07310
Various media outlets, local and national
RE: Ellipse bright lighting
Dear Mr. LeFrak and Associates:
The entire Lower West Side of Manhattan has been plagued by the glaring harsh nighttime lights on the Ellipse apartment building you have developed. The awful glare and reflection on the Hudson River nightly is an obnoxious and offensive insult to millions of people hoping to enjoy the skyline and tranquil scene on the waterfront. Do you have such harsh lighting on the west side of the building? Would your neighbors allow it to remain if you did?
