A long-awaited linear park and transportation corridor project is taking shape in one of the nation’s most densely populated regions, thanks to OSI.
In November of 2021, after years of direct negotiation that led to a $65 million purchase agreement between OSI and Norfolk Southern Railway, the state of New Jersey agreed to acquire the 135-acre property to create a new Greenway.
The deal marks the single largest state-funded land protection project in New Jersey history.
The linear park project, located just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, will create easy and equitable access to nature for millions of New Jersey residents; provide alternative transportation options; introduce green infrastructure to improve water quality; and spur economic activity.
The Greenway project will completely transform the way communities connect with nature and connect with each other – linking people to parks, to waterways and to their neighbors.
“Without question, this deal underscores all the merits of public-private partnerships and strategic land protection in one package. This once-in-a-generation opportunity will soon become a reality and OSI takes great pride in the role we played to negotiate the deal, bring stakeholders together, and generate public and private support for the initiative,” said Kim Elliman, OSI’s president and CEO.
Once completed, the Greenway project will connect Jersey City, Secaucus, Kearney, Newark, Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, and Montclair.
“I think when we look back 30, 40 years from now, this is a top five accomplishment,” claimed New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition and the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance are key partners and among a growing coalition of supporters for the project.
OSI’s efforts to create the Greenway are being generously supported by the Thomas L. Kempner Jr. Foundation. Additional generous support came from the Helen & William Mazer Foundation, Partners for Health Foundation, and individual donors.
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The project offers potential to reduce traffic and stormwater runoff in towns along the rail line, improve transportation options for residents, and allow for improved infrastructure connectivity for things like broadband and emergency response.