GOVERNOR MURPHY, NJ TRANSIT ANNOUNCE SELECTION OF DEVELOPER FOR METROPARK DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Design Work to Begin on 12-Acre Site for Mixed-Use Transit-Oriented Development
October 12, 2022
WOODBRIDGE – Governor Phil Murphy and NJ TRANSIT today announced the selection of DOR Woodbridge, LLC – a joint venture of Russo Development, Onyx Equities, and Dinallo Development LLC/Terminal Construction – to advance a transit-oriented development (TOD) project at Metropark Station in Woodbridge. The project reflects the Murphy Administration’s ongoing commitment to promoting sustainable growth and expanding a world-class public transportation system that connects residents to economic opportunity.
“Station by station, line by line, we continue our determined overhaul of one of the world’s most critical transportation networks,” said Governor Murphy. “This comprehensive transformation requires infrastructure investments that are complemented by the promotion of walkable neighborhoods, the construction of affordable housing, and the cultivation of economic opportunity. By leveraging public-private partnerships like the synergies on display today, we stimulate not just transit-oriented development, but future-oriented communities.”
“Today marks an important first step in Metropark Station’s transformation into a walkable community with direct access to the transit station,” said U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. “This investment in our public transit infrastructure will enhance the station’s safety and accessibility for commuters who rely on it. I want to thank Governor Murphy who continues to make sure our public transit infrastructure is a priority.”
The Metropark Development Project will support local and regional economic development through the creation of Class A office and retail space, housing opportunities (20 percent of which will be designated as affordable housing), community amenities, and station-area improvements, including bicycle, pedestrian, and infrastructure upgrades. These strategic investments and development of a cohesive community centered at the station will enhance mobility options and help connect New Jerseyans to employment, education, health care, and other opportunities through improved access to NJ TRANSIT’s transportation system.
In the coming months, DOR Woodbridge, LLC will perform site due diligence and collaborate with NJ TRANSIT, Woodbridge Township, and broader project stakeholders to advance the project design and related financing, phasing, and implementation plans.
Facilitating the development of TOD is one of the five goals in NJ TRANSIT’s 2030 10-year Strategic Plan, through which the agency is promoting a more sustainable future for the planet by developing walkable communities, engaging in adaptive reuse of property to maximize its value, and fostering a green economy by reducing emissions related to transportation.
“With the Northeast Corridor running through Metropark Station, NJ TRANSIT’s development promises to be an asset to our local community and to advancing the state’s environmental goals,” said Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin. “What this competitive process demonstrates is that New Jersey remains a place that businesses want to invest and people want to live.”
“Advancing transit-oriented development such as the Metropark project is key to creating walkable communities that provide easy access to transit and improved quality of life for communities,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “This is a significant step forward for an important project that integrates transportation, sustainability and economic development.”
“Anchored by one of NJ TRANSIT’s busiest stations on the Northeast Corridor, this TOD project at Metropark is an innovative effort that will create housing, office and retail space, in addition to station-area improvements for our customers,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “I’m pleased that this TOD also supports one of the five key goals in our 10-Year Strategic Plan, NJT2030, which commits to promoting a more sustainable future for our planet.”
“I’m delighted that a developer has been selected for this exciting TOD project at Metropark,” said NJ TRANSIT board member and Middlesex County Commissioner Deputy Director Shanti Narra. “As a board member and elected official, who also happens to be a Middlesex County resident, I know that this project brings great benefit to the economic engines of the township, county and across our state.”
“I am pleased to have identified a strong development partner in the DOR Woodbridge, LLC team, allowing us to advance this major TOD project in close collaboration with our host community partners, Woodbridge Township and Middlesex County,” said NJ TRANSIT Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer Bill Viqueira. “This is a great example of effective public-private partnership and represents an opportunity for a transformative TOD project centered around one of NJ TRANSIT’s most heavily used stations.”
“NJ TRANSIT’s Metropark Station redevelopment represents an opportunity to reinvent one of NJ TRANSIT’s busiest transit hubs into a vibrant mixed-use environment with the addition of residential, office, and support retail in a curated pedestrian-oriented environment,” said Ed Russo, CEO of Russo Development. “The Murphy Administration’s initiative to create public/private partnerships to drive the redevelopment of high value assets in NJ TRANSIT’s portfolio is not only an imaginative way to catalyze value creation but is visionary in the way it will ultimately enhance the rider experience statewide. We, along with our partners at Terminal Construction and Onyx Equities, are honored to be part of the team that will make this vision a reality.”
“Metropark is surrounded by a dynamic community of hospitality, office, retail, and residential uses that engage and benefit the train station, and with this redevelopment program, the station will now become a more integral part of its neighborhood and community,” said Jonathan Schultz, co-founder of Onyx Equities. “A mixed-use development that provides new resources and encourages the use of public transportation will activate travel, business and residential users alike and, with our collaborators at NJ TRANSIT and our partners, we look forward to creating a development that sets the standard for transit-oriented design and planning.”
“Terminal Construction’s legacy is around building train stations and we built the most recent parking structure at Metro Park,” said Donald Dinallo, CEO of Terminal Construction. “We’ve participated in a progression that began with simple station buildings and now arrives at a new definition for infrastructure that will include the integration of residential, retail, office and hospitality. It is very satisfying to be part of this team and continue our half-century service to NJ TRANSIT.”