Harrison, New Jersey
Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 14,424. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark.
Geography
Harrison is located at 40°44′45″N 74°09′18″W / 40.745951°N 74.155096°W / 40.745951; -74.155096 (40.745951, -74.155096).According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.2 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2) of it (6.82%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,424 people, 5,136 households, and 3,636 families residing in the town. The population density was 11,811.1 people per square mile (4,564.9/km2). There were 5,254 housing units at an average density of 4,302.2/sq mi (1,662.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 66.10% White, 0.98% African American, 0.40% Native American, 11.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 15.96% from other races, and 4.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.97% of the population.As of the 2000 census, 7.22% of Harrison's residents identified themselves as being of Chinese ancestry. This was the fifth highest percentage of people with Chinese ancestry in any place in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.There were 5,136 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.27.In the town the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.The median income for a household in the town was $41,350, and the median income for a family was $48,489. Males had a median income of $33,069 versus $26,858 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,490. About 10.1% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Colonial Times to the 1840's
The area that is now Harrison was a part of a charter granted to Captain William Sandford of Barbados. New Barbadoes Neck as the tract was known, consisted of 30,000 acres (120 km2) and it extended from Newark Bay north to present day Rutherford, between the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers. Sandford sent his nephew, Major Nathanial Kingsland, to enter into an agreement for the purchase the land from the Unami Indians, a branch of the Leni Lenapi Indians, the former inhabitants of the area.In 1825, the New Jersey Legislature, whose main purpose was to divide territories into townships and counties, changed the name of New Barbadoes Neck to the Township of Lodi, New Jersey, in Bergen County. Since Lodi was part of Bergen County, matters dealing with the county government and courts had to be taken to Hackensack.In 1840, the inhabitants of the Township of Lodi joined with present day Secaucus, Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, and Union City and petitioned for the creation of a new county due to the great distance which the petitioners had to travel to reach the county seat in Hackensack. This appeal resulted in the creation of Hudson County and the first mention of Harrison occurs in the law which was passed on February 22, 1840. The Township of Harrison was thereby established.The first committee meeting of the Township of Harrison was held on April 16, 1840, and it is widely accepted that Harrison was named for President William Henry Harrison, who was elected that year.
1850s to present day
In 1867 General N. N. Halstead succeeded in getting the necessary laws passed in Trenton and in March, Kearny became a separate Township from land that was a part of Harrison, which included East Newark at the time. (East Newark later seceded from Kearny, establishing their own Borough.)The first steam engine in North America was set up at Schuyler Copper mines, to help drain water from the mines. While campaigning for re-election, President William Howard Taft coined the town's motto, 'The Beehive of Industry', which is still used today.With the town's proximity to rail lines, and a large waterfront, Harrison was favorably situated for trade. Some of the industries which called Harrison home included the Edison Lamp Works, Worthington Pump and Machinery, the RCA Company, the Peter Hauck Brewery, Driver-Harris Company, Crucible Steel Company, Otis Elevator, Hartz Mountain, Nopco Chemical and Hyatt Roller Bearing.As the U.S. moved into the 20th century, these facilities played a major role in the development of revolutionary new products for both the private and public sector, peaking during World War II. The small town of about only 14,000 residents had more than 90,000 workers commuting into it on a daily basis.
Local representation
Harrison is governed under the Town form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a mayor and Town Council comprising eight council members. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Town Council consists of eight members elected to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis.The town is divided into four electoral wards, with each ward represented by two council members, with a total of eight council members on the Town Council. Each ward is divided into three districts (except for the 1st Ward, which has two districts), for a total of 11 electoral districts.The head of the government is the mayor. The mayor chairs the Town Council and heads the municipal government. The Mayor may both vote on legislation before the Council and veto ordinances. The Mayor's veto can be overruled by ¾ of the Town Council voting to overrule the veto.Town Council meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm (except in July and August, when no meetings are held, at the call of the chairman), in Council Chambers, which is located on the second floor of the Town Hall at 318 Harrison Avenue. Public Caucus Meetings are held at 6:30 pm in Room 303.The current Mayor and Council members are:Mayor Raymond J. McDonough (current term in office expires December 31, 2010)Members of the Harrison Town Council are:1st Ward: Jesus Huaranga (term expires 2010) and Caroline Mandaglio (term expires 2011)
2nd Ward: Steve McCormick (2010) and Maria McCormick (2011)
3rd Ward: Laurence Bennett (2010) and Francisco Nascimento (2011)
4th Ward: James Doran (2010) and Michael Dolaghan (2011)
Harrison had one of the longest-serving mayors in American history, Frank E. Rodgers, who was first elected in 1946, defeating incumbent Frederick J. Gassert who had served for sixteen years, and served for 48 years, from 1947 to 1995, being elected to 24 two-year terms. He also served one term in the New Jersey State Senate, from 1979 to 1983.
Federal, state and county representation
Harrison is in the Thirteenth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 32nd Legislative District.New Jersey's Thirteenth Congressional District is represented by Albio Sires (D, West New York). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).32nd District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Nicholas Sacco (D, North Bergen) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Vincent Prieto (D, Secaucus) and Joan M. Quigley (D, Jersey City). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).Harrison is part of the ninth Hudson County Freeholder District, along with East Newark, Kearny, and Secaucus. Hudson County's County Executive is Thomas A. DeGise. The executive, together with the Board of Chosen Freeholders in a legislative role, administer all county business. Hudson County's nine Freeholders (as of 2009) are: District 1: Doreen McAndrew DiDomenico (Chairman); District 2: William O'Dea (Chairman Pro Tempore); District 3: Jeffrey Dublin; District 4: Eliu Rivera; District 5: Anthony Romano; District 6: Tilo Rivas (Vice Chairman); District 7: Jose C. Muñoz; District 8: Thomas Liggio; and District 9: Albert Cifelli.
Emergency services
The Harrison Police Department was among the many Hudson County agencies that responded to the January 2009 crash of Flight 1549, for which they received accolades from the survivors.
Education
The Harrison Public Schools serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Lincoln Elementary School (Pre-Kindergarten through the 3rd grade; 824 students), Hamilton School (4th and 5th; 378), Washington Middle School (6th through 8th), and Harrison High School (9th through 12th; 637).The Harrison Public School District is participating in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program. For the 2005-06. school year parents can request to transfer a child from the Washington School, designated by the State of New Jersey as a Category I School, to another school which is not a Category I School. Since there is only one elementary school in Harrison, parents can request a transfer to the Hoboken Public Schools under the Choice program. A transfer request will depend upon the capacity of the selected Hoboken school.In 2000, the Harrison High School was used as the location of an open casting call by HBO which brought 15,000-plus TV star hopefuls to the town, doubling the town's population and bringing traffic to a standstill.Nathan Lane had performed on the high school's stage before breaking into acting.In September 2007, Harrison realigned the grades being housed in each of the school buildings in town. The new Harrison High School located on Hamilton Street between Kingsland and Schuyler Avenues opened to students in grades 9-12. As a result, the old Harrison High School building, located on 1 North 5th Street, was renamed as Washington Middle School. The old Washington Middle School, in turn, located on Hamilton Street between North 2nd and North 3rd Streets, has been renamed Hamilton School and now houses the 4th and 5th grades that formerly used the top floors of Holy Cross School. Holy Cross School has since been vacated by the Harrison Public School district.
Transportation
The Harrison station on the PATH rapid transit system offers service to Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken and New York City. Built in 1913, it is scheduled for a major reconstruction.The Northeast Corridor, built in the 19th Century by the Pennsylvania Railroad and now owned by Amtrak, carries New Jersey Transit trains, and passes through the city on the same alignment as the PATH. There was a stop on the Northeast Corridor in Harrison, but it was eliminated due to the ease of picking up trains in Newark at Penn Station.Harrison is served by buses operated by several bus companies. New Jersey Transit offers service within New Jersey on the 30, 40 and 43 routes.By car, Harrison depends on Interstate 280 which runs through town. Westward, I-280 leads to Route 21, the Garden State Parkway, and Interstate 80. Eastward, it leads to Route 7 and the New Jersey Turnpike.The closest airport in New Jersey with scheduled passenger service is Newark Liberty International Airport, located 4.8 miles (7.7 km) away in Newark and Elizabeth. New York City's LaGuardia Airport is 20.2 miles (32.5 km) away in Flushing, Queens via the Lincoln Tunnel.
Harrison Waterfront Development Plan
The Harrison Waterfront Redevelopment Plan represents one of the great opportunities for redevelopment in the State of New Jersey. While many former industrial areas in the State and the nation have undergone revitalization, the Harrison Redevelopment Plan has the potential to be a project of world class scale. The designated redevelopers have submitted plans which call for an array of uses that capitalize on the presence of the Harrison PATH Station and the Passaic River. The Plan seeks to unite the developers’ proposals with a design theme rich in industrial, cultural, and environmental identity. Through exemplary design based on the history and heritage of the Area, the Waterfront Redevelopment Plan will forge a bold new identity for Harrison. None of this could have been achieved were it not for the vision possessed by the Town of Harrison - a vision that has been validated by the interest of seven redevelopers. Together, their proposals will create a vibrant mixed-use, transit-oriented, pedestrian-scale development that will make Harrison a regional destination for years to come. Finally, this incredible revitalization of the town of Harrison, New Jersey, will all take place in a 275-acre (1.11 km2) area that is 35% of the whole town
Red Bull Arena
After years of delay, Red Bull Arena opened on March 20, 2010. The soccer-specific stadium (SSS) has a capacity of approximately 25,000. It features a full wavy translucent European-style roof that covers all of the seats in the stadium but not the pitch. The stadium sits alongside the Passaic River with a view of the Newark, New Jersey, skyline. The stadium is accessible via public transportation at the PATH train stop in Harrison, and is owned and operated by Red Bull GmbH.
Developments
The list below is just some of the new developments proposed and/or completed.1. Long Island Hotels, LLC. 801 Motor Parkway Hauppauge, New York 11788 Principals – John Tsunis and John Danzi 166 – room Hampton Inn & Suites on Passaic Avenue between the Hess Station and the New Jersey Transit rail lines.2. Heller Urban Renewal, LLC 205 Mill Road Edison, New Jersey 08837 Principals – Isaac Heller Mixed - use development ( residential, office, retail ), the extent of which and construction Time table not yet finalized due to ongoing environmental remediation efforts.3. Millrose Developers, LLC 233 Canoe Brook Road Short Hills, New Jersey 07078A joint venture between the principals, Millennium Homes and the Roseland Property Company.Mixed-use development. ( estimated details )a. 1000 residential units with approximately 800 2-bedroom units, 100 3-bedroom units and 100 1-bedroom units with 1500 parking spaces.b. 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of neighborhood retail space with parking shared with commercial / office units ( see below )c. 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2) of commercial / office space with 3,200 parking spaces.It is estimated that approximately 100 residential units will come on line per year beginning in the spring of 2007 and 2,000 square feet (190 m2) of retail coming on line by the spring of 2010. As of 2008, No timeframe is currently available for office space at this time due to market conditions. 4. Harrison Heights Development, LLC 34-38 Avenue K Newark, New Jersey 07105 The principals of which are Carlos Viera, Victor Ostreicher, Howard Freundlich and Ari Marguilles Residential project at 400 South Second Street, consisting of 70 two-bedroom units and 2 three-bedroom units and 82 parking spaces. Construction has begun5. Harrison Commons, LLC 1018 Washington Street Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 A joint venture between the principals Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund II, LP, Pegasus, Endeavour, LLC, Applied Harrison, LLC and Harrison Commons, LLC. The first phase consists of 477 residential apartment units, a 1500 space parking garage and approximately 35,000 square feet (3,300 m2) of retail space. This phase began July 2, 2007 with asbestos abatement and is expected to be completed during spring of 2009. Additional phases will commence at the end of each prior phase until project is completed 8 to 10 years from now.6. Advance at Harrison, LLC 1430 State Highway 206 Bedminster, New Jersey 07921 The principals of which are Advance Realty Development, LLC and Advance Realty Development, LLC. Phase I is a proposed mixed-use development between Frank E Rodgers Boulevard South and the Red Bull Park, consisting of a hotel of approximately 300 rooms, about 327,650 sq ft (30,440 m2) of retail/commercial space, 1100 residential units and approximately 4376 parking spaces for both residential and commercial units expected to be completed in 2010. Details on later phases not yet established.7. Red Bull Arena, LLC Two Penn Plaza East, 11th Floor Newark, New Jersey 07105 The principals are Red Bull GmbH. The project is a 25,000 seat soccer stadium with 4000 parking spaces within the redevelopment area.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Harrison include:Timothy Adams(born 1967), actor, who has appeared onOne Life to Live.[citation needed]
Dave D'Errico(born 1952), former professional soccer player.
Sam Dente(1922–2002), major league baseball shortstop from 1947-1955.
Bhairavi Desai, founding member of the Taxi Workers Alliance in New York.
Daisy Fuentes(born 1966), model, actress and formerMTVVJ.
Fred A. Hartley, Jr.(1902–1969), served ten terms in theUnited States House of Representativeswhere he represented theNew Jersey's 8thandNew Jersey's 10thcongressional districts.
Ray Lucas(born 1972), former NFL quarterback who played for theNew York Jets, among other teams.
Edward F. McDonald(1844–1926), representedNew Jersey's 7th congressional districtfrom 1895 to 1899.
Tab Ramos(born 1966), retired soccer midfielder.
Fred Shields(1912–1985), born Ferdinand Zbikowski and played under that name for the United States in the1936 Summer Olympicsin Berlin. Elected to theNational Soccer Hall of Famein 1968.
George Tintle(1892–1975), soccer goalie elected to theNational Soccer Hall of Famein 1952.
