hoboken

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, Assemblyman John Allen, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, Chairman of the Hudson County Board of Commissioners Anthony Romano, and Mayor-elect Emily Jabbour today broke ground on Maritime Park, an 8.7-acre waterfront park located at the former Union Dry Dock site at 901 Sinatra Dr. The ceremony marks a milestone in Hoboken's decades-long effort to create a continuous, publicly accessible waterfront. 

Maritime Park will be a recreational, ecological, and educational destination that will transform the last remaining industrial parcel of Hoboken’s waterfront into publicly accessible open space. The design, which was developed following a comprehensive public planning process of online surveys, public meetings, and engagement sessions, includes an upgraded, modern skatepark; a flexible lawn; a new learning pier for marine education; a living shoreline of marshes and tide pools; a playground with natural-materials; a public plaza inspired by the Castle Point bluffs; a community building with meeting space and a rooftop observation deck; expanded beaches, and an extension of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. The park will also integrate sustainability and resiliency features, including native plantings, rain gardens, bioswales, and topography designed to accommodate future sea level rise. 

“Breaking ground on Maritime Park is one of the most significant milestones in Hoboken’s modern history,” said Mayor Bhalla. “For decades, residents have imagined a fully connected public waterfront that brings people closer to the river. Today, that vision finally begins to take shape. The journey to acquire this site was not easy. We faced an attempted, adversarial takeover of the site by the previous Governor, who along with special interests looked to force a permanent, heavy refueling depot at this site. But make no mistake about it - we made our voices heard to protect our waterfront - and we won. Hoboken won. And we will now see a park at this site that will benefit our community for generations to come.” 

“This is a monumental moment for Hoboken and I was incredibly proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Mayor over countless hours and years to prevent a hostile takeover of our waterfront as chief of staff and lead negotiator, and more recently, having secure $1 million in the State Assembly for the park’s construction,” said Assemblyman Allen. “It looked bleak back in 2018, but our collective work to successfully defend our waterfront and speaking out when our waterfront was under attack has been the most memorable policy achievement of the past eight years.”   

“I am thrilled that Hudson County invested $500,000 in the development of Maritime Park through our Open Space Trust Fund. This investment is a result of a successful partnership between county and municipal government that will benefit Hoboken residents and visitors with a place to play and connect with community. I am excited to see this park come to life and create opportunities for residents of all ages,” said County Executive Guy. 

“As someone who cares deeply about Hoboken and expanding places for our kids and families to play, I am excited to see this project moving forward and utilizing Union labor. Supporting improvements like this skate park is exactly why the Board of Commissioners are proud to back the County Executive’s Open Space Trust Fund recommendations. This is a win for recreation, a win for our youth, and a win for Hoboken,” said Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners Romano.  

“Today we’re celebrating what happens when a city truly listens to its community, because Maritime Park is a reflection of the passion and ideas of Hoboken’s residents,” said Mayor-elect Jabbour. "From parents and skaters to environmental advocates and longtime neighbors, this community shaped every part of what Maritime Park will be. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring us to this moment, and as I prepare to take office, I promise that your voices will continue to guide this project so Maritime Park remains a true people’s park.”  

“I know the future park at this site will be in good hands with Mayor-Elect Jabbour who has been a strong supporter of this project, and I have no doubt she will see construction through to completion. I look forward to its grand opening during the Jabbour administration,” Bhalla said. 

Project construction for the first phase will begin in earnest in the first quarter of 2026, with construction staging to include the installation of a temporary multiuse path for pedestrians and cyclists along Sinatra Drive following the completion of the Waterfront Reconstruction Project. 

The first phase design plans were prepared by a consultant team led by Colliers Engineering & Design, SCAPE, and Action Sports Design. Phase I, funded in part by the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund and the State, will include a skatepark designed for all skill levels, featuring a 6-foot half pipe pocket, 3- to 4-foot flow bowl, mini ramp, 3-foot mini ramp, beginner-friendly ledges, and other features encircled by native landscaping areas. The initial construction will also include an extension of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, a public plaza inspired by the adjacent Castle Point bluffs that will incorporate natural materials, seating, a water fountain, and prominent park signage, as well as a learning plant nursery and tree staging area to cultivate native plantings for later phases of the park’s development.  

For more than a century, Union Dry Dock operated as a ship repair facility along the Hudson River, serving as one of the last remnants of Hoboken’s industrial maritime heritage. When the property faced potential conversion to a permanent ferry refueling and maintenance facility, community members mobilized to protect the site for public open space. Residents organized marches, rallies, and waterfront demonstrations, and local advocacy groups worked alongside the City to resist attempts by NJ Transit to acquire the property. Litigation and negotiations continued for several years until the City reached an amicable agreement with NY Waterway to acquire the property for public open space.  

For more information on Maritime Park, go to hobokennj.gov/maritimepark.