For decades, two massive lots have sat vacant, side by side, in the heart of Jersey City. However, city officials are now hoping that development could soon come to the sites.
The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) is seeking development proposals for the properties at 41 and 52 Aetna Street, just west of Jersey Avenue. Both properties are located in Ward F, just opposite the border of Ward C, within the Grand Jersey Redevelopment Area, and consist of just over two acres that are owned by the City of Jersey City.
The lots are in a once-industrial region of the city that has not been utilized in many years, and there are several graffiti-covered abandoned structures, trees, and weeds in the area, which is bordered by Route 78, the Morris Canal Basin, and light rail tracks. It is considered to be a Brownfield Development Area, and soils on the properties “are contaminated with typical industrial and urban contaminants such as PCBs, heavy metals, and historic fill”, according to the project Request for Proposals (RFP). Environmental investigations using federal and state grants are currently underway at the sites, the RFP states.
The JCRA has advertised this as an “extraordinary development opportunity”, most likely because of the sites’ central location. The Jersey Avenue Station on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and Jersey City Medical Center are just around the corner, and New York Waterway’s service to Pier 11 in Manhattan stops at Liberty Harbor, which is within close walking distance. Plus, Liberty State Park is just a few yards away from the properties via the Ethel Pesin Liberty Footbridge.
Those interested in applying must submit a proposal and a non-refundable submission fee of $1,500 to the JCRA by December 16th. According to the RFP, a site visit for interested developers will be held on Tuesday, November 29th at 10:00am. The developer would be required to extend utilities to the property and improve public rights-of-way in the area.
[gmap height=”250px”]41 Aetna St, Jersey City, NJ 07302[/gmap]
41 Aetna St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
