Waldo, Jersey City

WALDO was a neighborhood in downtown Jersey City, New Jersey, adopted into Jersey City zoning in 2002 per a proposal written by the Urban Land Institute, and was deleted from the zoning on January 24, 2007. The name stands for Work And Live District Overlay. The purpose of the district, as the name implies, was to most effectively reuse an eight block area of industrial buildings, and transition them to include more residences, without zoning them a purely residential use. Currently, most zoning codes do not allow industrial and residential uses to co-exist on the same lot. The district also aimed at retaining the high bulk, low rise industrial buildings which were threatened by development of high rise towers in the area. The district indicated that roughly half of the apartments built in the existing industrial buildings in the eight block neighborhood must go to artists. The name itself is an acronym for the ordinance responsible for the formation of this artists' district. This area is sometimes referred to as the Powerhouse Arts District (after the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse). Under the district plan, two industrial buildings were renovated into loft apartments, and one new building, Waldo Lofts, was constructed. During the district's lifespan, there were several attempts to bring in more housing and studios for artists, to make the the area more pedestrian friendly, and to bring in art schools or museums. There were also been proposals to turn the Powerhouse into residences, shops, galleries, and museum space. Most of the proposals for retail and gallery space never materialized or found tenants, and as a result the eight blocks of industrial buildings remains much the same as back in 2002 when the district began. As well, the city approved spot zoning development of a large development on the First Street block in WALDO which deviated from the district plan. Several other blocks also have spot zoning proposed for their lots. Most proposed developments are higher rise structures, and the majority of capital investment in the district favors high rise development. Many of these factors led to WALDO being removed from the zoning ordinance. While the area is still referred to as the Power house arts district, WALDO no longer physically exists.