Developers from Roseland Property Company, who recently unveiled their new luxury rental building Rivers Edge at Port Imperial, have broken ground on what will become the new Pershing Road Park.
Mayor Richard Turner and members of the Township Council gathered around the site on Wednesday with shovels to officially declare the area, which is located adjacent to the waterfront and the restaurant previously known as Arthur’s Landing, under construction.
“This is a very tangible and positive step forward for the development of Port Imperial in Weehawken.” – Carl Goldberg
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It will be an acre in size. The cost is paid for Roseland as part of their development agreement with the town.
“This is a very tangible and positive step forward for the development of Port Imperial in Weehawken,” said Carl Goldberg, a partner at Roseland Property Company. “The public amenities have always been a significant component of our commitment to the municipality.”
The park’s amenities
Pershing Road Park will include bike racks, bollards, directional signage, and five benches. Also to be included are a fountain and a sculpture.
Near the southwest corner of the park will be pier mounted flagpoles with the American, New Jersey, Weehawken, and Port Imperial flags. A 62-foot sea wall will run across one side of a 9,775 square foot central lawn area.
Marshall said the project is expected to cost around $1.2 million dollars, which will be paid entirely by Roseland Property Company in accordance with the development deal made with the town of Weehawken.
“That includes the design cost and the approval cost and everything else,” said Marshall “The construction is about $850,000 to 900,000. That’s just what it costs to raise the grade, build the hardscape, and create the proper planting soil so the plants can survive.”
Marshall added, “The fountain itself is a couple of hundred thousand dollars with all of its equipment.”
An estimated 50 to 100 workers will take part in the construction, according to Marshall.
The park’s design
Thomas Carman is the landscape architect for the project and a principal at Melillo and Bauer Associates, the landscape architecture design company hired to design the park.
“It’s been a real collaborative effort working with Kim Mathews Nielsen, with the township of Weehawken, and with everybody to create a wonderful amenity for the residents here today, as well as the residents to come,” said Carman.
He said his favorite part is creating the space and the surrounding areas to provide a view of the skyline when driving from Pershing Road.
“It’s just a great location,” he said.
Future of the area
The new park marks one phase of a larger plan. The entire area will undergo expanded landscaping all along the waterfront and further north, work that is scheduled to be completed in July of next year.
“They have a very ambitious program,” said Bob Drasheff, township consultant at Weehawken’s planning office.
The area south of Pershing Road Park between Weehawken and Hoboken will also soon undergo improvements that will be funded by federal stimulus money, according to Drasheff.
Melissa Rappaport may be reached at mrappaport@hudsonreporter.com