Hoboken's New 4.5-Acre Waterfront Park Could Look Like This

HOBOKEN, NJ — What will Hoboken's newest waterfront park look like?

The Maritime Park, to be built on the former Union Dry Dock ship repair site that the city acquired, will include a new skate park, a plaza inspired by the Palisade cliffs, living shoreline to promote educational opportunities and restore natural habitats, and a temporary learning nursery and tree staging area, the city said.

The entire Maritime Park site is about 8.7 acres in size, including 4.5 acres of land and 4.2 acres of water, the city said.

The city announced the acquisition of the site in 2022, allowing Hoboken to connect one of the final pieces of the waterfront for public use.

Based on community feedback from an in-person skatepark meeting and over 250 survey respondents, the city said, the skatepark will include features that cater to skaters of all skill levels including, 6-foot half pipe pocket,3- to 4-foot flow bowl, mini ramp, 3-foot mini ramp, beginner-friendly ledges, a Euro-gap, flat rail, four stair with handrail, and tech pad, among other features.

Maritime Park Phase I will also include a living shoreline of natural marshes and tide pools that will be accessed through a step-down feature called the “Hudson Step Down” allowing for educational opportunities and additional seating.

Shoreline components will include rock sills, and seawalls, as well as wave attenuation structures to minimize the effects of erosion and allow for transitional uplands with native plantings that will restore the biodiversity and ecology of the area.

The new habitats are anticipated to attract a variety of species like Atlantic mud crab, monarch butterfly, snowy egret, marsh wren, piping plover, western honeybee, great blue heron, blue crab, fish species like the Atlantic silverside, and filter feeders like ribbed mussels. The city says these will contribute to the health of the ecosystem by promoting nutrient cycling and water filtration.

The first phase plans, created by a team of consultants, including SCAPE, Colliers Engineering & Design, Action Sports Design, will also integrate a learning nursery and tree staging area to grow native plantings which will be used for later phases of the park's buildout.

“With these new design renderings, we are finally able to see the transformation of a former industrial site into a beautiful waterfront park for all to enjoy,” said Mayor Ravi Bhalla. “I’m thrilled that this first phase includes brand new skate features, and its seamless integration into the rest of the waterfront park."

The skate park will replace an existing skate facility built during the administration of Mayor David Roberts.

The final concept envisions recreational spaces, including a large flexible lawn, the upgraded and enlarged skatepark, an expanded beach with a new Learning Pier for marine education, and a play area featuring natural materials and structures, the city said.

The city will seek to bid and award a construction contract for Phase I by the fall of 2025.

Find out more at hobokennj.gov/maritimepark.