Scene from Bergen Square showing Peter Stuyvesant statue postcard issued 1930-1945 via Wikimedia Commons
JERSEY CITY — A newly revitalized Bergen Square, one of the oldest established town squares in America, dating back to 1660, was officially opened with Mayor Steven M. Fulop cutting the ribbon. He was joined by the City Council, local dignitaries, and community members.
The Department of Infrastructure, working closely with Jersey City residents and neighborhood organizations, transformed surface parking lots into 5,400 square feet of pedestrian plaza and park space with carefully designed aesthetics.
“Our vision for Bergen Square is to build a usable outdoor public space in the heart of Journal Square for everyone to enjoy, with an important emphasis on the valuable role this area and Jersey City has played in our nation’s history going back thousands of years,” said Fulop.
Dr. James Dievler, Bergen Square Committee Member, Lead Organizer of Bergen Square Day, and Chairman of the Journal Square Community Association History Committee, noted Bergen Square’s redesign, the first permanent European settlement in Jersey City and New Jersey. “In addition to being an ancient, critical crossroads for the native Leni Lenape for over a thousand years, since 1660 and before, Bergen Square has been the site of community exchange and cross-cultural interaction,” Dievler said.
Situated along Bergen Avenue between McGinley Square and Journal Square, the redesigned public space boasts an area for community events, traffic safety upgrades, a newly planted 30-foot oak tree, and native greenery. Additional improvements include:
- 14 additional on-street parking spaces
- Improved traffic flow
- Public transit stops with bus shelters
- Native landscaping and green infrastructure
- Relocation of school bus drop-off for P.S. 11 to Academy Street
- Removal of surface parking lots while creating more parking opportunities
- Historic signage
Fulop launched the project in 2018 to strengthen the area’s historical identity and activate it as a vibrant public space with the formation of the Bergen Square Committee. A public parking lot was relocated, increasing the number of available parking spots and raising the intersection for pedestrian safety. One of the busiest public bus stops in the city was upgraded. The redesign also created a safer, more streamlined drop-off for the Pre-K to 8th grade students attending the Martin Luther King, Jr. School, P.S. 11.
The Journal Square Special Improvement District, led by Chris Bernardo, will partner with the city to clean and maintain the plaza’s amenities daily. “The thoughtful design and amenities will enable us to program the space with activities for customers, residents, and students,” he said.
The Fulop administration also planned to build a brand new 3-acre Courthouse Park, which will soon be the first large park in Journal Square. With no public parks currently within walking distance, a 30-foot-tall oak tree was planted in the southeast quadrant of Bergen Square to establish immediate benefits of shade and greening the space. The project’s primary goal is to bring a welcoming, green space to the heart of the bustling urban center.
“With the Bergen Square revitalization project, we are introducing outdoor recreational space to the rapidly growing Journal Square area with the creation of a welcoming public space that celebrates the past, present, and future of Jersey City,” concluded Barkha Patel, Director of the Department of Infrastructure.
–With Jay Domingo/PDM
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