NJ Transit Wants To Build At Metropark Station; Developer Sought

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — NJ Transit wants to develop 12 acres directly next to the Metropark train station in Woodbridge, and is currently looking for developers to submit proposals.

This is the lot just south of the Garden State Parkway, and currently houses the MetroPark outdoor parking lot, and two very large covered parking garages.

NJ Transit owns the land. The area is zoned as the Metropark Redevelopment Area.

Those parking garages would ostensibly be torn down, but it remains unknown exactly what will replace them. NJ Transit is currently seeking developer proposals for the site, and is soliciting "Statements of Qualifications and Expressions of Interest." No official development has been chosen yet. Developers can submit proposals here: https://www.njtransitdevelopme...

NJ Transit envisions transforming it into a mixed-used commerce/residential development "that creates a new community of place," all centered around the Metropark station.

Metropark sits on both the Amtrak and Northeast Corridor lines, and is the fifth busiest train/bus station in the system.

NJ Transit calls such projects "transit-oriented development" (TOD).

Here are other similar TOD projects NJ Transit is planning: A retail/residential complex at the Aberdeen-Matawan station on the North Jersey Coast Line; two acres of land on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (Liberty State Park station), and 347 apartments and 156 townhomes on 31 acres next to the Somerville train station (17 acres of that will remain open space).

The Somerville project is the farthest along. The apartments will be available to rent in 2023. The developers are Ralph Zucker's Somerset Development, with partners Avalon Bay and Pulte Homes.

NJ Transit has not yet chosen a developer for the Jersey City Light Rail site.

“Through Transit Oriented Development, we are achieving the fullest potential for NJ Transit real estate and delivering the best value for the local taxpayer as well as for the commuting public,” said NJ Transit's Chief Financial Officer William Viqueira. “Situating mixed-use development near transit hubs helps reduce roadway traffic, improves safety, promotes a healthier, walkable lifestyle and cuts down on greenhouse emissions. We’re very excited about the projects already underway and look forward to more over the next few years.”