The biggest development project in NJ history is coming (Opinion)

You’ve seen this spot a thousand times driving up the Garden State Parkway North. Just south of the Driscoll bridge (near exit 125) sits a blighted area of land that, as you drive by begs the question, “When is somebody going to put something pretty on that huge piece of Riverfront land?”

Well, now somebody is.

Coming soon: the Riverton project. On Dec. 10th, Sayreville's powers-that-be finally gave the go-ahead for the first phase of this enormous project, likely the biggest in New Jersey history. This $2.5 billion development totals 5 million square feet and is being billed by developers as a “a mini-metropolis meets mega-town square with spectacular riverside views.”

According to Jerseydigs.com, Riverton will include more than 2,000 luxury waterfront residences, 750,000-square feet of high-tech workspace, and three hotels including 700 rooms. There’ll also be retail space, restaurants, a convention center, a food hall with locally sourced and international fare, a 200-slip marina, and parks and nature trails along two miles of waterfront, according to the piece.

Some might balk at these development plans, complaining that we don’t need more of these massive developments in NJ to bring more crowding and traffic. But actually, this space needs SOMETHING. For years it’s been an eyesore just sitting there at the site of a former paint factory. It's beautiful waterside location deserves to have something nice there. And the city of Sayreville, in which the parcel lies, deserves to have the jobs, tax revenue, and economic advantages that Riverton is sure to bring.

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