Tours provide an opportunity to learn of future redevelopment plans

BAYONNE, NJ September 1, 2006 – The Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority (BLRA) is pleased to announce that its popular summer tour series at The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor will be extended through the fall.

“We heard such a positive response about the tours and we got so many calls from people wishing to go on one, that extending the tours through the fall just made sense,” said Nancy A. Kist, Executive Director of the BLRA.

The 430-acre man-made peninsula, once known as the Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne, (MOTBY) juts more than two miles into Upper New York Harbor and is the largest tract of undeveloped land in the New York /New Jersey metro area.

Tours are offered to all members of the community every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the day, between 10am and 6:30pm.

The hour-long tour include an historical timeline of the site from its days as a military base through to the present. Tour participants will get to see where passengers board Royal Caribbean cruise ships at Cape Liberty Cruise Port, the dry dock operated by Bayonne Dry Dock -one of the largest dry docks on the eastern seaboard, and they will even get a sneak preview of the 100-foot monument “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism” which is being constructed in Harbor View Park at The Peninsula’s northeast corner, facing Manhattan.

“This is a very exciting time for the City of Bayonne and for The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. By extending these tours, we give more people the opportunity to see first-hand the great work being done at The Peninsula,” said Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr.

Seating is limited so those interested in taking a tour must call the BLRA to register for a time slot in advance. Please contact Beth Polera at (201) 823-0333 for more information or to reserve a seat. Individuals will meet in front of Bayonne City Hall, 630 Ave C to board the van. The van will return to City Hall following the tour, approximately an hour later.

About The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor

Since the U.S. Army transferred complete ownership of the former military base in 2002, the BLRA has raised more than $50 million in government grants and interim lease payments to make infrastructure improvements needed to attract development. These improvements include new bulkheads along the base’s south side and environmental remediation that was completed last year, ahead of schedule. Other projects include the installation of a new sewer system and planning for a new electrical grid and new roads.

Redevelopment of The Peninsula is organized around the creation of six
different, yet integrated districts.

In 2004, Cape Liberty Cruise Port opened, marking the first tangible step in the transformation of the 430-acre site. It resulted in 51 cruise ship calls in its first season and created 300 jobs. Since then, the Cruise Port has grown to become the third-ranking passenger port on the East Coast (after New York and Miami).

Early this year, the BLRA approved plans for development of another district, Harbor Station North, which will consist of mid-rise housing, service retail space, and park space adjacent to the 45th Street light rail station.

The recent approval of a redevelopment agreement with Trammell Crow Residential for a portion of Bayonne Bay will begin the transformation of the third district.

Other districts to be developed include The Landing, which will have a water transit docking facility surrounded by a commercial and entertainment area with shops, stores, a hotel and restaurants as well as a residential section with mid-rise housing; The Loft District, which will be converted to hip loft-style housing units adjacent to the ferry landing with views of lower New York Harbor, the Verrazano Bridge and golf course, and The Maritime Industrial District.

For more information about The Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority, visit www.bayonnenj.org/blra.



 

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