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FACT SHEET - Joseph G. Minish Passaic River NJ Waterfront Park and Historic Area

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
Published March 1, 2024

DESCRIPTION: The Joseph G. Minish Passaic River Waterfront Park and Historic Area project is located along the west bank of the Passaic River between Bridge and Brill Streets in the City of Newark, New Jersey.  This reach of the Passaic River is eroded, deteriorated and environmentally degraded due to past commercial and industrial use and flooding.  The project design was comprised of three phases: Phase I is 6,000 feet of new bulkhead, 3,200 feet of restored riverbank and creation of wetlands, Phase II is the 9,200-foot waterfront walkway and Phase III is the park facilities, plazas, and landscaping.  The city of Newark is pursuing a walkway, park and redevelopment area independently; therefore, Phase I is the only phase USACE will construct. The Non-Federal sponsors for Phase I are the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the City of Newark.  

AUTHORIZATION: The project was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1990 (Public Law 101-640) as an element of the Passaic River Flood Damage Reduction Project on November 28, 1990, modified in the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-580) by extending the project area, and further modified in the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-303).

PAST CONSTRUCTION: The final Design Memorandum and Environmental Assessment were completed in May 1996.  The Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA) for Phase I was executed with the NJDEP in May 1999.  The first construction contract for Reach 1 near Center Street was completed in September 2000.  A second construction contract for Reach 2, from Center Street to Penn Station, was completed in March 2003.  The third construction contract for Reach 4A, from Jersey St to Jackson Street was completed in November 2010. 

STATUS: A Hurricane Sandy Limited Evaluation Report was approved in October of 2016, allowing the completion of Phase I at 100% Federal expense. In June 2020, the stream bank stabilization section was eliminated from the project due to the construction of a park in a portion and the remaining portion being deemed stable, due to 20 years of natural vegetation. Contract 3A was awarded in December 2019 and included a bulkhead from approximately Center Street north to approximately Lombardy Street. Reach 3A was completed in July 2021.  The contract award for Reach 3B is scheduled for Summer 2024. The contract for Reach 4B, the final reach, is scheduled for 2027, pending real estate acquisition.  

 

CONTACT:

Mr. Jason Shea

Project Manager

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District

Phone: (917) 790-8727, (917) 273-7286

E-mail: jason.a.shea@usace.army.mil

26 Federal Plaza

New York, NY 10278-0090

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS: NJ-08, NJ-10