Newport at Jersey City
Mixed-use Development
Jersey City, New Jersey
Located on the Hudson River, Jersey City in the early 1900s was a center of rail and barge shipping activity, with its expansive rail yards and docking facilities. Goods were easily transferred from freight trains to barges and transported to various or ports of call As the economics of rail and barge shipping declined, this once-thriving waterfront was abandoned and over the next half century deteriorated, becoming a wasteland.
In 1985, the Lefrak Organization saw the growth potential of this area and prepared a master plan for 150 acres of the Jersey City Waterfront. The master plan envisioned a multi-use development that included high-rise apartment neighborhoods and office complexes with street level commercial/retail services. An open-space network of landscaped streets, parks and a public plaza linked the residential-working community to the Hudson River via a waterfront walkway This development became Newport City.
Since 1996, PS&S landscape architects, civil engineers, and environmental planners have contributed to the vision by designing various portions of the master plan. Projects include:
- Towers of America Apartment Complex*
- Hudson River Waterfront Walkway*
- Newport Office Center VII*
- Newport Town Square *
- Newport Community Park*
- Marina Park Restoration
- The Pacific Office and Apartment Complex
- Streetscape Design Newport Office Center I
*Described below
Towers of America Apartment Complex:
PS&S designed the open space of this complex. Pedestrian walkways with landscaping and lighting link courtyards, plazas, and parkland to create a sense of neighborhood.
Hudson River Waterfront Walkway:
PS&S designed the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway and parkland that wraps around the Towers of America Complex. The waterfront walkway's distinct paving pattern, placement of benches, landscaping, and lighting connect this unique community to the Hudson River. PS&S civil engineers prepared the bank stabilization and structural design for the walkway.
Newport Office Center VII:
Newport Office Center VII is a corporate office located on the Hudson River, within walking distance of the Jersey City PATH Station. PS&S was the lead for all site and civil work, which included conceptual and final design layouts for the plaza, circulation drives, Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, and civic water fountain. Eight-inch caliper Sycamore trees were selected for the plaza and were located in aerated tree pits next to open lawn areas to assure adequate soil volume. PS&S landscape coordinated all civil work and construction documents.
Newport Town Square:
The Lefrak Organization sponsored a student competition to improve the aesthetic and functional qualities of an existing square. The winning design focused on the sight line to the World Trade Center. PS&S developed the design, including hardscape, landscaping, lighting, and selection of street furniture. The square has become a thriving social gathering place and center for community activities.
Newport Community Park:
The Newport master plan proposes a three-acre community park. PS&S landscape architects prepared a site design concept that would link Washington Boulevard, to the west, to the Hudson River through three outdoor spaces; the Great Lawn, the Town Square, and the Waterfront Plaza. Each space would be a gateway to the next, terminating with a panoramic view of the Hudson River. The concept also identified ways to relate the park to the historical context of the waterfront as a railroad and barge transfer hub.