September 30, 2006 – Queen Mary 2 Makes Bayonne Debut

When royalty calls, Cape Liberty is happy to make the necessary accommodations. Cape Liberty Cruise Port welcomed Queen Mary 2, which docked in Bayonne after a trans-Atlantic voyage on September 30. Queen Mary 2 is the second ship of note to visit Cape Liberty Cruise Port this year.

September 23, 2006 ­– Greenway Opening

For the first time in a generation, the public was given regular access to a portion of The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor (formerly the Military Ocean Terminal). On Saturday, September 23rd officials opened the first mile of The Peninsula’s waterfront greenway with a celebration featuring the mayor and BLRA commissioners. 

Patricia Hilliard, a local author, gave a presentation from her book, Wild Birds in the Parks of Hudson County. She emphasized that many of the birds highlighted in the book can be found on The Peninsula. 

This event is a major step toward realizing the goal of reconnecting Bayonne to its New York Bay waterfront. 

September 11, 2006 – Dedication of the memorial “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism”

Time cures everything, but there are things we cannot and must not forget. Standing more than 100 feet tall, “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism” honors victims of 9/11 and the 1993 World Trade Center bombings and serves a symbol of solidarity in the fight against world terrorism. Created by Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, the memorial was a gift from the Russian people. 

The Memorial was dedicated on the fifth anniversary of 9/11, in a ceremony attended by President Bill Clinton, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, Governor Jon Corzine, Senator Frank Lautenberg, Senator Robert Menendez and family members of World Trade Center victims. Grammy award winner, Leann Rimes, sang the National Anthem.  

By day, or nighttime when it is lit, the Memorial is clearly visible from lower Manhattan, the Staten Island Ferry, ships passing through New York Harbor and airplanes approaching Newark Airport. 

In October, Harbor View Park officially opened to the public. Harbor View Park was built by the BLRA and funded in part by the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund and a contribution from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Its centerpiece is the 9/11 memorial “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism.” With $600,000 in Green Acres funding from New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, the BLRA will construct a new bulkhead along Harbor View Park’s eastern boundary, stabilize the shoreline, and extend the park all the way to river’s edge.

Harbor View Park is open dawn to dusk, seven days a week. 

May 12, 2006 ­– Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority Welcomes Freedom of the Seas to Cape Liberty Cruise Port 

With news-channel helicopters hovering over her bow and amidst the spray of fireboats, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, arrived on May 12, 2006 at Cape Liberty Cruise Port at The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. To help with the celebration, The Today Show broadcast live from the ship. 

This is an exciting time for The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor and for the citizens of Bayonne. The arrival of the world’s largest cruise ship here in Bayonne is the culmination of the hard work of the BLRA and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCL). The cruise industry and Bayonne are an excellent match. 

According to RCL, Freedom of the Seas towers 208 feet tall, approximately the same height as two Statues of Liberty, placed head to toe. The cruise liner can carry nearly 4,000 passengers and will offer amenities including an ice-skating rink, full-size boxing ring and the first FlowRider® surfing simulator at sea.

September 15, 2005

October 7, 2004- Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate John Edwards Holds Town Hall Meeting at Cape Liberty Cruise Port

Less than one month before the Presidential election, Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards spoke in a town hall style meeting at the Cape Liberty Cruise Port at the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. He was joined by family members of 9/11 victims. Senator Edwards discussed issues of Homeland Security and then gave audience members an opportunity to ask questions regarding his political platform. Audience members, including BLRA staffer Jesse Ann Ransom also had a chance to meet Senator Edwards.

Summer 2004- Weekly Bus Tours of the Peninsula
For the second year in a row, the BLRA provided bus tours of the Peninsula for the public once a week, twice a day, throughout the summer. The tours, given by Jesse Ann Ransom and Lance Krubner, included information about the history of the site as a military base, its current interim uses, and its future redevelopment plans. Over 300 tour participants were shown the Cape Liberty Cruise Port passenger ship terminal, dry dock, views of the NY skyline from the northeast corner of the Peninsula, and the warehouses and outdoor locations where a number of TV and film productions have been shot.

June 2004- Urban Angler Program
For the 4th year, The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor hosted Seventh Grade students from P.S #14 in the Urban Angler Program sponsored by the NJ EPA and the Bayonne MUA, and headed by James Monkowski, the City’s environmental specialist. The students went fishing off a pier at the Peninsula and caught several crabs and a 21-inch striped bass while learning about aquatic biology and ethical responsibilities.

May 19,2004-Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance “Waterfront Conference 04”
The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor hosted the morning session of Waterfront Conference of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, a coalition of business, foundation, civic, environmental, and business groups form New York and New Jersey. The morning session included reports from a variety of experts on the regional waterways as well as presentations on international waterfronts. Conference participants then enjoyed a harbor cruise from the Peninsula to Governor's Island where the conference continued with an afternoon session. Among the presenters was BLRA Executive Director Nancy Kist who provided information about the Redevelopment of the Military Ocean Terminal.

May 14, 2004- The Official Opening of Cape Liberty Cruise Port
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and the Bayonne Local Redevelopment hosted an opening ceremony to celebrate the arrival of the "Voyager of the Sea". Honored speakers included BLRA Chairman Howard Fitch, Mayor Joseph V. Doria Jr., Representative Robert Menendez, Commerce Secretary William D. Watley, Governor James E. McGreevey, and Richard D. Fain, CEO and Chairman Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Bayonne Police Pipes and Drums, Bayonne Police Color Guard, Bayonne Fire Department Honor Guard, and Bayonne High School Concert Band participated in the ceremony which was followed by a Luncheon aboard the Voyager of the Seas.