by Steve Dwyer

Interim-use brownfields aren’t applicable for every development schema. If you can capitalize on it though, project stakeholders should take full advantage—particularly in densely populated urban settings where individuals don’t have to travel far to take advantage of the interim-use site.

A recent interim-use scenario in the Northeast footprint of BCONE caught our attention: The Hoboken, N.J. Northwest Resiliency Park project. The long-term plan envisions a one-two punch of addressing flooding issues in the northwestern area of Hoboken with a stormwater retention plan as well as providing residents with a green recreational component. The properties are currently undergoing focused Remedial Action activities by BASF, the former property owner. Following the completion of the remedial action, the property was deemed safe for the community’s use by North Brunswick, New Jersey’s Excel Environmental Resources Inc.’s Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP).

The short-term planning process is underway to create a temporary four-acre “pop-up” park so that the Hoboken community can start enjoying the benefits of the green space this summer. The goal of the park is to provide a fun and safe recreational area for the enjoyment of the Hoboken community for the next two to three years while the long-term plan proceeds.

The long-term Hoboken redevelopment, meantime, solves two issues within one ambitious lens: Create open space in a dense urban footprint and build green stormwater infrastructure and subsurface detention to reduce stormwater runoff in the city—long as bugaboo in this city.

Interim-use strategies are helping to breathe life into this project—a concept that has great upside if applicable and if properly executed by its stakeholders.