73 acres of Perth Amboy's waterfront is being redeveloped. Here's what's coming
PERTH AMBOY – Work is beginning on two industrial warehouses, part of a high-capacity storage and distribution center, at a waterfront site on State Street which has undergone an environmental cleanup.
Members of the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency (PARA), joined by state and local officials, and project developer Bridge Industrial of Parsippany, broke ground Thursday on BridgePort II, located on a remediated 73-acre waterfront site at 1160 State St.
Plans call for the construction of a 243,600-square-foot warehouse and an 800,000-square-foot warehouse along the banks of the Arthur Kill in an area in close proximity to the New Jersey Turnpike and Outerbridge Crossing, with the project slated to be completed by the second quarter of 2024.
“For years, we have been working with the state and the developer to turn this brownfield into a tax-generating amenity that can benefit our city,” said Perth Amboy Mayor Helmin Caba. “Today, I salute the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency for its doggedness in ensuring this project happens. BridgePort II will serve as a shining example of major brownfield redevelopment that other cities will emulate.”
The project is expected to generate $2.9 million in gross taxes to the city.
In working with Bridge Industrial, Tashilee Vazquez, PARA executive director, said it was important for the project to be environmentally sensitive. As a result, Bridge Industrial is building rain gardens, separating the combined sewers to prevent untreated sewage from going into the Arthur Kill, building warehouse roofs that will accommodate solar panels as well as committing $1 million to the city’s open space trust fund and $500,000 for off-site improvements.
The project is expected to generate at least 500 construction jobs. In addition, PARA has ensured that all tenants in the complex will provide at least one job fair three months before opening.
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Environmental Protection Agency records indicate the development site was owned by the American Smelting and Refining Co. since 1901, which reduced non-ferrous metal ores to their metallic form and later known as the Act 2 property. The site, which required heavy site cleanup and ground improvements, was purchased out of bankruptcy court in September 2009 which kickstarted the extensive remediation process.
To make the land buildable Bridge Industrial had to create a full site infrastructure with multiple retaining walls and parking for vehicles and trailers and install a 12-inch water line stretching nearly a mile through nearby public roads. Also being installed is a long sidewalk on the east side of High Street, connecting to the Harbortown residential neighborhood.
“This project is a perfect example of Perth Amboy’s resurgence,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex. “Local leaders seized the opportunity to take advantage of the strategic location to clean up the contamination of the past, attract jobs, and restore this property to the tax base for local services. Public safety and economic opportunity will now replace environmental hazard and blight.”
Bridge Industrial has already constructed BridgePort I in Perth Amboy, a 1.3 million-square-foot distribution park with three buildings, according to Jeff Milanaik, a partner in the company.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Perth Amboy NJ redevelopment project to bring 500 jobs
