New York, NY (November 16, 2021) — Occupying a formerly contaminated 100-acre site on the Hackensack River, the Bayfront Redevelopment Area Open Space Master Plan designed by SWA Group represents a paradigm shift towards more sustainable, resilient, and equitable development along the Hackensack. At full build out, Bayfront will offer 8,000 residential units (35% of which will be affordable, making it the largest ever mixed-income development in the Tri-State Area), 340,000 square feet of commercial uses, an intermodal transportation hub including light rail and water taxi service, 19 acres of public open space, and at last, a publicly accessible waterfront.The centerpiece of the Open Space Master Plan is a half-mile waterfront park anchored by two primary nodes, piers and docks for maritime activity, and newly created marshlands that will help absorb rising tides, improve water quality, and provide riparian habitat. Two linear parks, situated atop engineered caps designed to isolate chromium-contaminated soil and prevent seepage into the water table, provide green connections between upland neighborhoods and the riverfront. Central Park serves as the primary access corridor with a pedestrian and bicycle bridge at its east end spanning over Route 440. The park features protected bikeways, meandering trails, and active recreation programming. Promenade Park features more passive programming to serve a more predominantly residential district. Both linear parks are designed to provide a continuous experience across park blocks while complying with strict loading and soil depth limitations essential to protecting the cap system below.
From the outset, the master plan sought to do more than serve the future residents of Bayfront. It would act as a catalyst for the economic revitalization of Jersey City’s underserved westside and reconnect its diverse upland neighbors to the largely inaccessible Hackensack riverfront. The planning process included extensive stakeholder engagement with several community groups including the citizens Bayfront Advisory Committee, as well as engagement with multiple city and state agencies including Jersey City Redevelopment Agency; Jersey City Department of Housing, Economic Development & Commerce; NJDOT; and NJDEP. An inter-disciplinary team of specialists, including SWA for open space design, Perkins Eastman, Moffat & Nichol, BRS Inc, and Greener by Design collaborated on this extensive and ambitious plan. The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency has reached an agreement with two private developers to begin the first phase of the Bayfront Redevelopment. The initial portion will include four development parcels totaling 16 acres including two blocks of the Promenade Park.
SWA View of Urban Beach and The Landing
Rendering courtesy SWA Group
About SWA Group
SWA is a world-renowned landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm celebrated for its creativity, responsiveness, and design excellence. Our work gives new life to outdoor spaces at multiple scales – from public plazas to waterfronts to entire city districts – harnessing natural systems while enhancing the unique characteristics of each setting. SWA has studios in Dallas, Houston, Laguna Beach, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Sausalito and Shanghai. For more information, please visit www.swagroup.com.
A link to project visuals may be accessed here.
Media contacts
Michelle DiLello
Blue Medium, Inc.
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212.675.1800
Fran Hegeler
SWA Group
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415-887-4252
