NJ Cities in a State of Redevelopment: Paterson, Newark, Atlantic City
Redevelopment in the Triplicate
Atlantic City, Newark, Paterson - the triplets of redevelopment in New Jersey right now, have
seen a consistent and booming surge in revitalization. What’s stirring it? Many look to New
Jersey’s Growth Zone tax abatement program, allowing tax savings to developers while
municipalities advance economic growth. Criteria for determining an area in need of
redevelopment is defined by New Jersey’s Local Redevelopment and Housing Law. It is any
area where buildings are substandard, unsafe, or abandoned due to disrepair. It is also defined
as publicly owned or vacant land for a period of 10 years not likely to be developed privately. It’s
a mouthful, purposely, yet the big three of the Garden State have been persistent in
revitalization efforts. In Paterson, Hinchliffe Stadium is an obvious example. The redevelopment
along Atlantic City’s Boardwalk is another example. Herein lies another in Newark, along Route
21, known as the riverfront. It’s happening- and many are welcoming the many redevelopment
projects.
Atlantic City
The Atlantic City Master Plan is a vision for breathing life into the popular resort city. The idea is
to create a clean, safe, and green seaside destination. Both Atlantic CIty and Asbury Park
received $20M from state funds for broadwalk upkeep. Not just construction to ensure the safety
of the physical broadwalk is underway, but stretches of the boardwalk in Atlantic City that
include three popular casinos will get a facelift, inevitably increasing the appeal of those major
casinos. Inoperable since 2006, Bader Field in the casino capital of the east coast has planned
redevelopment to include nearly 200 condos, apartments and townhouses, retail stores, and a
racetrack. It will take six to nine years to complete this project on the 143 acre former airport
site. Part entertainment, part local vendor market, part gourmet marketplace, a container park
on Tennessee Avenue in A.C. was awarded a $2.2M grant in 2024 to break ground. Developers
use a mix of 28 renovated shipping containers and traditional brick and mortar buildings to
produce a large complex of vendor shopping, education and art spaces, and entertainment
space.
Newark
Urban high-rise mixed use development has been king in Brick City. In fact, as part of a plan to
develop the properties surrounding the major entertainment hub, NJPAC, just across the street,
a 22 story mixed use glass structure was completed in recent years. It includes studio, one, two,
and three bedroom apartments, a fitness center, a lap pool, and an outdoor deck. The ground
level features 15,000 square feet of retail space. In 2023, a project to turn the site of the former
New Jersey Bears and Eagles baseball stadium in downtown Newark into 11 towers with 4,200
apartments cleared its final hurdle. This massive project, called CitiSquare Newark, will include
commercial space too - 100,000 square feet of it. The riverfront along Route 21 in the city is
seriously eroded due to years of industrial use and neglect. Therefore, the Army Corp of
Engineers and the State have teamed up to construct the Minish Park Project to reduce
riverbank erosion and lay the foundation for waterfront park development. The city is moving
forward on a waterfront walkway on the site.
Paterson
Redevelopment has surged in the Silk City over the years, from properties in the city’s neglected
4th Ward constructed into multi-unit mixed used complexes, to the completion of the historic
Hinchliffe Stadium restoration in 2023. But there is more. The Great Falls National Park is being
expanded with a riverwalk at the south end of the majestic waterfalls. The 2.5 acre expansion
will allow visitors to stroll along the Passaic River amidst the site of old dye and silk factories
that made Patersom great during the industrial revolution. This project is scheduled for
completion in Fall 2024. In February 2024, the Islamic Center of Passaic County secured
approval from the Paterson Planning Board for a proposed 17, 285 square feet recreational
community center in South Paterson. It will feature a multi-use building, swimming pool, and
exclusive sports facilities.
Sources
What is a redevelopment zone NJ?
Redevelopment is reinvestment in neighborhoods and commercial areas to replace or
repair previously developed buildings or plots of land that are in substandard condition
or are no longer useful in their current state.
What are the criteria for area in need of redevelopment in NJ?
An area may be determined to be in need of redevelopment if any of the following
conditions are found: a. buildings are substandard, unsafe, unsanitary, dilapidated, or
obsolescent, or are lacking in light, air, or space.
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2023/04/24/paterson-nj-property-tax-ba
se-falling-as-development-surges/70134607007/
Atlantic city
https://njcrda.com/redevelopment-plans/
Master plan for atlantic city
https://www.jerde.com/projects/8058/atlantic-city-tourism-master-plan
Newark
