Returning a celebrated landmark to the Hudson River waterfront,Tishman Construction Corporation of New Jersey is part of the Project Team finalizing construction of the Historic Clock Tower at the Hoboken Rail and Ferry Terminal Complex. The Clock Tower serves as a centerpiece of a multiphased project to restore the terminal, one of New Jersey Transit's most important transportation hubs, to its original splendor.
A major milestone in the decade-long restoration of the historic Hoboken Rail and Ferry Terminal Complex was reached November 15. Workers from Campbellsville Industries Inc., managed by Tishman Construction Corporation of New Jersey and Hall Construction Co. Inc., hoisted into place by crane a portion of the re-created clock tower, weighing 15 tons, with a width of 13 feet by 13 feet and height of 31 feet, which includes the structure's four clock faces. Anticipating high winds, and with safety as a primary concern, team members worked overtime to assemble the crane so that the lift could be executed as soon as weather permitted.
The new clock tower is a replica of the original Beaux Arts structure,constructed along with the terminal in 1907 by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad. The original tower was dismantled in 1950 after sustaining severe damage during a storm. The new clock tower is being replicated entirely from historic photographs of the terminal, since no original building plans exist. When complete, the clock tower will stand 221 feet tall and feature 4-foot illuminated letters spelling "LACKAWANNA" on all four sides.
Said Tishman Vice President Randy Doliber, "The clock tower is a signature project for everyone involved, and we are proud of our partnership with New Jersey Transit in restoring something that is very much a part of the character and charm of Hoboken and the New Jersey Hudson waterfront."
Added Christopher Mezzina, Tishman project engineer in charge of the clock tower component: "Through painstaking research and precise attention to detail, we believe that we have succeeded in delivering both high quality and a historic integrity with the clock tower."
To date, Tishman has been part of the Project Team that restored the historic Main Waiting Room, replaced the roof, repaired structural elements of the ferry slips, restored the interior of the rail terminal, and improved the concourse. The next phase of the restoration includes rebuilding floor substructures to restore ferry service to five of the original six slips.
The Hoboken Rail and Ferry Terminal serves as a transit hub for PATH trains, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail System, New Jersey Transit commuter trains, pedestrians, bicycles, buses, and ferries. Each weekday approximately 70,000 people pass through the terminal, including 20,000 ferryboat passengers, traveling between Hoboken and Manhattan.
Tishman Construction Corporation of New Jersey has been serving New Jersey Transit as Construction Manager on the more than decade-long, multimillion-dollar effort to restore, modernize and expand the terminal complex and its extensive rail yards. Other completed project elements include restoration of the historic Main Waiting Room, roof replacement, structural repair of the ferry slips, restoration of the interior of the rail terminal, and improvements to the concourse.
