Liberty State Park Unveils $1 Billion Revitalization Master Plan After Years Of Community Input

Drawing on years of community input, new plans unveiled to the public this week by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are set to improve the inner layout of Liberty State Park, spanning nearly five years of public engagement from the community.

The proposal outlines a vision for the 1,212-acre urban park, including the construction of athletic fields suitable for high school use, innovative playgrounds designed for children of all age groups, a new community center, restoration of the historic train shed, and enhancements to several of the park’s most frequented destinations.

“I hope that people see themselves in this process and that ultimately their engagement in this process mattered,” said Shawn LaTourette, the commissioner for the NJ Department of Environment, in an exclusive interview with New Jersey Urban News. “I think what we found through both our public comment process and surveying is that we could balance the interests of everyone into this master plan.”

A Multistep, Multiyear Plan

The revitalization program for LSP is centered on developing three zones translated into three-phase projects throughout the park: the Interior, the Audrey Zapp Drive Corridor, and the Morris Pesin Drive and Freedom Way Corridors. 

The plan is structured into projects under Early Activation (0-5 years), Mid-Term (5-10 years), and Long-Term (10 over years), with each phase bringing infrastructural upgrades to the park adding in the mix of recreational use such as a Liberty State Park Athletics Hub–which will include sites for level soccer, cricket, track and field, and court sports for youth leagues.

“While improvements in each of these areas have proceeded on different timelines, the Revitalization Program goal was to advance a holistic vision for the future of Liberty State Park presented in a new Master Plan,” according to the DEP site with the master plan.

Community is Part of the Proposal

The public unveiling was held at the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal on Thursday evening, with state officials and members of the public in attendance. The 138-page master plan has been a culmination of six open-house-style events held between May 2023 and January 2025, offering the public a chance to review planning and design updates with the DEP and design teams.

The project aims to balance athletic needs with natural preservation and community by directing funds through recovered lawsuits against polluters to address clean-up and restoration park efforts. For decades, the 240 acres of land at the park have been closed off due to its history as a major industrial area serving as a formal trackrail yard and port facility.

At the meeting, various displays of the plan were placed showcasing the approximately $1 billion worth of projects, according to the DEP. Under Gov. Phil Murphy, the park has received federal and state funds, with an additional $35 million for capital improvements to the park’s design.

A previous version of the park’s Master Plan was introduced in 1978, proposing converting open spaces to park sites, but it never came to fruition.

“This Master Plan has a very similar philosophy to the 1978 Master Plan because they both represent the clear and strong voice of the people,” said Sam Pesin, the son of the park’s founder Morris Pesin and president of Friends of Liberty State Park, speaking of the park’s original plans, which had 38 public meetings prior to the introduction of the plan by the NJDEP.

Private Interest in the Park

Activists applauded the plan as protecting the park from private developers, citing previous proposals by private developers such as Paul Fireman, who in past years has sought to build a  5,000-seat stadium in the interior of the park.

The billionaire is the owner of the private Liberty National Golf Course, which sits in the Southern region of the park. New Jersey Urban News reached out to Fireman, but he did not respond. 

“[Paul Fireman fails] to respect the decades of the overwhelming voice of the people for a central type park, and [fails] to advocate for Jersey City’s primary responsibility to create and renovate active recreation facilities for JC,” said Pesin, adding that improving sections such as Caven Point Athletic Complex increases access of recreation sites for the public, rather than yielding land use to private developers.  

Ecological Protections

Alongside the ongoing debate over recreational priorities and the threat of privatization, environmental concerns have remained central to the master plan. Ecological and key improvements in the interior of the park also include nature-based resilience projects intended to counter flood intrusion. 

The coastal habitat known to foster notable bird species such as the Black Skimmer and Red Knot will be receiving long-term protections under the plan, countering previous interest in privatizing the wetland zone.

The plan also seeks to broad public access to nature by redesigning several areas of Liberty State park entities including the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, the Richard J. Sullivan Natural Area, the jetties, the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal Plaza, park entrances and other high-use zones of the park, according to plans reviewed by New Jersey Urban News.

Looking Ahead

Bids for the construction management contract were made known at the public meeting and are due on Aug. 27, related to the four phases of the park’s revitalization efforts. 

The timeline of the meeting has been followed by over 5,000 public comment submissions by residents and community members, in bringing about a comprehensive plan for the state park that preserves its generational legacy and natural landscape.

“The first time coming out here was just a feeling of rebirth,” said Colin Egan, a long-time resident of Jersey City who recalled the site prior to becoming a park and attended the public meeting yesterday. “Up until this point, there have been roadblocks, twists and turns, and just problems, and I hope that we do not get nearly as many moving forward because this plan is a good one.”