Continuing years of public engagement, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today hosted its fifth open house to advance the Liberty State Park Revitalization Program. The event focused on the park’s forthcoming Holistic Long-term Master Plan and provided another opportunity for the public to give in-person feedback prior to the groundbreaking of initial projects along the Audrey Zapp Drive Corridor.
The open house was held at the Liberty Science Center, where attendees interacted with multiple stations that displayed information about the revitalization program’s three concurrent projects: development of the park’s Holistic Long-term Master Plan, immediate improvements along the Audrey Zapp Drive Corridor and the cleanup and restoration of the park’s long fenced-off interior located to the west of Freedom Way. New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette provided opening remarks.
“Liberty State Park embodies the spirit of New Jersey – rich in history, vibrant in culture and forward-thinking in its vision,” said Commissioner LaTourette. “Through years of collaboration and public engagement, the revitalization of this iconic park reflects the voices and needs of our communities and creates a space that honors the park’s history and future.”
Those who were unable to attend the open house can view the materials and provide feedback online. Comments will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Holistic Long-term Master Plan
The park’s Holistic Long-term Master Plan, slated to be released this year, will outline future project concepts for the next 10 years and beyond. A video was produced to showcase artistic images of the proposed design concepts. The Master Plan includes:
- Creation of the Morris Pesin Drive Gateway: Constructing a welcoming entrance at the south end of the park featuring an entry plaza with seating, wayfinding information and a shuttle stop. Upgrades are also proposed to Morris Pesin Drive itself, including the addition of a dedicated bike lane.
- Transformation of the park’s southern jetties: Making the area into a gathering and recreation space incorporating a flexible lawn, a fishing pier, a splash pad, a kayak launch and nature-based enhancements, including a living shoreline, and marine mammal and migratory bird habitat.
- Improvements to the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway: Adding upgraded seating, landscaping with native plants and the addition of scenic overlooks to enhance the waterfront experience.
- Enhancements within the Richard J. Sullivan Natural Area: Adding outdoor classroom space, observation platforms, educational signage and trail upgrades.
- Development of the Southern Athletics Hub: Constructing multi-use athletic fields, along with a variety of courts where planned sporting events can take place.
- Other enhancements: Opportunities for community and special events, and vehicle and pedestrian circulation recommendations.
To enhance the visitor experience, select elements of the Master Plan are currently being implemented, such as the upgrading of park wayfinding information and interpretive signage. Additionally, the park’s free, pilot Shuttle Program is anticipated to launch for its second year in late spring.
“This work at Liberty State Park is rooted in a shared vision that honors the park’s natural beauty, resources and historic significance, and also looks to the future and evolves to meet the demands of Jersey City, Hudson County and the state’s growing and diverse communities,” said John Cecil, Assistant Commissioner for State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites. “The long-term master plan is a critical document that will guide park development for years to come.”
Audrey Zapp Drive Corridor
A suite of projects at the north end of the park along the Audrey Zapp Drive Corridor is anticipated to break ground this year. A video was produced to showcase artistic images of the proposed design concepts. Those concepts include:
- Creation of the Audrey Zapp Drive Gateway: The corner of Johnston and Jersey avenues will be transformed into a welcoming entrance to the north end of Liberty State Park expected to feature parking, wayfinding information, restrooms, seating and a shuttle stop.
- Development of the Marina Green: The lawn space between Audrey Zapp Drive and the Liberty Landing Marina will become a gathering space known as the Marina Green, complete with multiuse athletic fields, a picnic area and play features.
- Improvements to the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal Plaza: The existing plaza at the end of Audrey Zapp Drive, which connects the Empty Sky Memorial and the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal Building with the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, will undergo a renovation, improving accessibility and creating a more welcoming space for visitors. The project will also include the transformation of Parking Lot #9 into a dedicated lot for buses and visitor drop-off.
- Restoration of the historic Train Shed: Initial restoration work will focus on the east side of the shed that connects with the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal building. Restoration work of the train shed will take place in phases over time, with the first phase creating gathering space with seating and future interpretive programming. The remainder of the train shed that is not included in the first phase will be structurally reinforced.
These improvements will complement ongoing work at the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal to restore over 300 windows and the brick on the building’s exterior.
“Groundbreaking of the initial projects along the Audrey Zapp Drive Corridor is an exciting step for both the revitalization program and the future of Liberty State Park,” said Maggie McCann, Administrator for Urban State Parks & Initiatives. “Restoration of the park’s historic train shed is of particular significance as it will allow the public to once again experience this magnificent space, which previously hosted thousands of people each day, whether they were commuting to work or beginning their immigration journey to America.”
Interior Cleanup and Restoration
A multitude of work continues in the park’s interior that has long been fenced-off due to historic industrial contamination. Since breaking ground in October 2023, work has consisted of land clearing, ground scans to identify unknown buried objects of concern, and soil testing. The results of this ongoing site preparation work will create a roadmap for the project’s next steps.
Once complete, the interior will feature nature-based features serving critical climate resilience functions, urban forests, scenic overlooks, a 5.6-mile trail network and active recreation amenities within the Southern Athletics Hub.
Liberty State Park Revitalization Program Background
Since Liberty State Park’s opening in 1976 as New Jersey’s bicentennial “gift to the nation,” the park has been in a constant state of development and revitalization – transforming the area from an abandoned rail yard and illegal dumping ground into cherished parkland.
The Murphy Administration has remained fully committed to advancing the Liberty State Park Revitalization Program with public interest at the center of its process. Beginning in 2020, the DEP has held a series of virtual meetings on the cleanup of the park’s interior and hosted four large-scale open house events to give the public an opportunity to view plans up close, meet the revitalization program team and ask questions.
For more information and updates on the Liberty State Park Revitalization Program, visit dep.nj.gov/revitalizelsp.