Hackensack Avenue: Street Design

Once the center of American industry as the site of the world's premiere shipbuilding operation, Kearny Point is in the midst of a transformation into an office and light manufacturing complex. The complex supports a variety of business types from small incubators to larger manufacturing/logistics-oriented businesses. The district is ideally situated between Newark and Jersey City, making it easily accessible from anywhere within the New York City area. A variety of open spaces and plazas stitch the industrial buildings together into a cohesive, campus-style business district.

Arterial led the streetscape design for Hackensack Avenue, the district’s primary spine. The challenge was to create a multi-modal corridor that supports heavy logistics traffic while prioritizing pedestrian safety and climate resilience. The resulting design features a continuous promenade with a separated two-way cycle track, ensuring safe access for commuters and cyclists alongside industrial vehicles. To address the site’s flood-prone reality, the streetscape integrates native bioswales and green infrastructure that manage stormwater while softening the industrial aesthetic. Tabled intersections, new lighting, and urban furniture further define the sense of place. This strategic vision proved critical to the project’s realization, directly helping the Town of Kearny secure a $3 million U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to construct this High Performance Street.