Gruzen Samton working on design of Liberty Harbor North. (New Jersey).

Gruzen Samton, the New York-based architectural firm, has proceeded into the first phase of building design for Liberty Harbor North, a long-term development encompassing more than 100 acres of land in Jersey City. The developer for the site is Peter Macco, and Gruzen Samton is working under contract with Duany Plater-Zyberk Company, architects and town planners of Miami. Once completed, the project will benefit from its close proximity to New York City, as well as PATH, Liberty Harbor Line ferry, and light rail stations.

The project's master plan, developed by DPZ, is based on a "New Urbanist" theme, which calls for a mixed-use development similar to Manhattan's Battery Park City. Gruzen Samton has designed four buildings in that highly-successful complex, including Tribeca Pointe, which won an AIA/HUD award this year.

Gruzen Samton will oversee the process through which each of the 30 blocks will be conceptually planned. The architects will determine key issues such as the mix and apartment distribution for each building, the pedestrian and vehicle circulation, and the provision for parking. A primary goal is to achieve an interesting variety of building types and sizes and to create a desirable sense of scale for the development. The site, now vacant, is particularly noteworthy as it has been designated a brownfield by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Rail yards were previously located there.

The reclaimed land would be ideally suited as a bedroom community for Manhattan financial district workers or employees of the many corporate back-office facilities that have been relocated to Jersey City and Hoboken from New York. Development for the infrastructure for the community is currently underway and a Jersey City hospital and school are nearby.