Stephanie Spear 
Back in 2024, plans for a Hoboken Urby were officially approved, and now, the project has broke ground as of August 2025. The building will be located at 265 Observer Highway, just steps from the Hoboken Terminal. This project is one of many projects underway or soon to be underway in this corner of Hoboken. Read on for what we know about the Hoboken Urby, coming soon to the Mile Square.
^ Rendering of the Hoboken Urby. Photo Credit: Urby
The Hoboken Urby
The initial proposal was approved in 2021 and included 360 units, with 40 set aside for affordable housing, per Jersey Digs. The version of the project that received final approval this summer now has 345 units, with 38 set aside for affordable housing. When The Hoboken Girl first reported on it in fall of 2024, work was scheduled begin in 2025 and is anticipated to be completed in 2027, according to an Urby spokesperson. Now, we know that the project has broke ground as of August 2025, per a press release, and is planning to open in summer of 2027.
The mixed-use building will have 17,425 square feet dedicated to retail. No information is known on prospective retail tenants. The attached parking garage will have space for 152 cars. The first floor will be for retail parking and the second and third floor will be for residents only. The building will have some parts that are 16 stories high, and other parts that are nine stories high.
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Also in the building will be a 4th-floor courtyard designed by internationally renowned landscape architect Bas Smets, known for his recent work on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. This outdoor area will feature towering bamboo, extensive greenery, a cold plunge pool, sunbeds, grill stations, and a dramatic fire pit pavilion. The pet-friendly building will also include a rooftop dog run.
There are other Urby buildings nearby, including one in Journal Square. The Journal Square residential building started leasing in late 2024, and is a 25-story building with 317 apartments as well as a rooftop pool, fitness center, co-working spaces, dog park, and lobby café, among other amenities. The Urby brand specializes in modern, luxury apartments with ground-floor cafes, high-end amenities, and rooftop patios and gardens.
Paul Presinzano, Hoboken City Council Member for Ward 1, where the project is located, told The Hoboken Girl in October 2024 “I’m excited to see the Urby development at the old DPW site, which will bring nearly 40 affordable housing units and revitalize the area. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet housing needs while enhancing our community and local economy.”
Neighborhood Development
The southeastern corner of Hoboken has recently become the focus of city leaders, who are looking to redevelop. The Washington-Observer Gateway Redevelopment Plan began in 2020. In December 2023, the City adopted the Fabian Arts District Redevelopment Plan for the space. Per City spokesperson Marilyn Baer, that plan is “the guiding document for any future developers who seek to redevelop the site. The Redevelopment Plan calls for entertainment space designed to accommodate live music or performing arts, a 10% set aside for affordable housing, pedestrian connection between Washington Street and Hudson Street, Court Street rehabilitations within the redevelopment area, as well as incentives for 10% set aside for workforce housing, administrative office space for sociall services, and more.”
The name Fabian pays homage to a former theater that was a longtime fixture at the corner of Washington and Newark Streets. The Fabian was one of the longest-running theaters in Hoboken, operating from 1928 to the mid-1960s.
Photo Credit: Hoboken Historical Museum
Another project is the Hoboken Hilton Hotel. In 2022, after years of legal wrangling, plans were approved for a Hilton Hotel to be built in Hoboken. The hotel will be located at One Sinatra Drive. The Post Office located at 89 River Street was purchased by the developer and will be incorporated into the project, per a statement from the developer. “As part of this redevelopment, the Post Office will be the beneficiary of significant improvements and operational upgrades that will improve its ability to efficiently continue to serve the Hoboken community. ” said Dennis Martin, Principal at KMS Development Partners.
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At the same time, work has also begun on the Hoboken Connect project, which will revitalize the Hoboken Terminal. The project is a joint effort among between NJ TRANSIT, LCOR, and the City of Hoboken. The Terminal will receive new tracks and several historic elements of the station will be refurbished. Many closed-off spaces will be rehabilitated into either NJ Transit resources or space for the community. An unused building that formerly housed a ferry terminal is 16,000 square feet, and developers envision using glass walls to bring natural light into the space.
^ A rendering of the Hoboken Connect Project. Photo Credit: LCOR.
Other elements of the Hoboken Connect project include an office tower and an apartment building. “With Hoboken Connect, we’re creating the most significant, transformative economic redevelopment project along the Hudson Waterfront. We’re working closely with the City of Hoboken and NJ Transit to introduce a master planned, mixed-use development comprising both public and private components,” said Brian Barry, Senior Vice President at LCOR. “Site construction officially began in the spring and continues with the start of vertical construction on the residential component this year. We’re looking forward to sharing more project details and developments soon.”
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