Phase 1 Of 'Cove' Site Environmental Remediation Complete

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The first phase of an environmental remediation plan is complete for "The Cove" site in Jersey City.

The 18-acre site along Aetna Street and Jersey Avenue consists of vacant brownfields, or potentially contaminated land. Due to extensive historic industrial uses, the properties are contaminated and have been designated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protectio as a Brownfield Development Area. It's part of a joint venture between real estate firms Argent Ventures and H&R REIT for a two-tower, mixed-use site. Land-use consultancy Dresdner Robin just completed the environmental remediation for an estimated cost of $10 million.

The next phase of activity includes a series of land-use permits that are expected to be submitted to the NJDEP.

The site is one of the largest development sites near downtown Jersey City. The finished product will reveal a "live-work-play, mixed-use campus featuring residential, retail and life sciences laboratory components," according to a press release from Dresdner Robin. A 2-acre public park and other infrastructure are expected to be built as well — construction is scheduled to start in 2022.

“This is not a typical redevelopment project; as a matter of fact, there is nothing typical about this project. It is without question the most complicated remedial project that I have been involved with,” said Douglas Neumann, director of environmental services at Dresdner Robin. “In addition to working closely with the NJDEP and EPA on the remediation front, Dresdner Robin is also working with the JCMUA as it pertains to the Mill Creek Combined Sewer Outfall – in the middle of the project area.”

The next phase of the project starts in mid-2021 and will focus on infrastructure improvement design and permitting. Most of Jersey City relies on a combined sewer system, where sanitary sewage and storm runoff use the same pipes, which can become overwhelmed in rainstorms. To improve water quality, a large subsurface overflow storage chamber is being designed. The chamber will be used to temporarily store discharges during significant precipitation events, which will then be pumped back into the system for treatment. Currently, discharges end up in the nearby marina basin and eventually the Hudson River.

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