NJ Transit Seeks Developer for Housing and Retail Near Bayonne’s 34th Street Station

NJ Transit is seeking a development partner for two surface parking lots directly south of Bayonne’s 34th Street Light Rail Station, opening a solicitation that could eventually change housing, parking and pedestrian access around the station.

The approximately 4.3-acre property is being offered through NJ Transit’s Request for Qualifications/Proposal, or RFQ/P No. RE26-952. The solicitation envisions mixed-income apartments, including at least 20% affordable housing, along with ground-floor retail or commercial space, public areas, commuter parking and improvements for buses, bicycles and pedestrians.

What NJ Transit is seeking

NJ Transit’s stated goals also include accessibility features, clearer wayfinding and signage, micromobility enhancements, bicycle infrastructure and streetscape improvements. These are requirements or envisioned elements of the solicitation, not a final approved design.

No developer has been selected. The procurement does not establish the number of apartments, building design, rents, financing, construction schedule or final arrangement of the existing parking area.

For Bayonne residents and commuters, the site’s current use as surface parking means a future proposal could affect how riders reach the station and where they leave their vehicles. It could also add housing and retail near light rail service, but those outcomes depend on the proposals received and on later review and approval processes.

Why the station-area property matters

NJ Transit reports that approximately 1,484 customers board at Bayonne-34th Street on an average weekday. That makes the property relevant to nearby residents and businesses as well as commuters using the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system.

A future project could bring new walking routes, bus and bicycle connections, public space and accessibility features. Commuter parking is also part of NJ Transit’s stated goals, although the final amount, location and layout have not been determined.

Key procurement dates

Interested parties must submit a notice of intent by August 18, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time. Proposals are due by September 23, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time.

NJ Transit’s procurement page identifies the opportunity as RFQ/P No. RE26-952 for Bayonne’s 34th Street Station. The page also lists two Bayonne addenda dated July 20, 2026, among the solicitation documents.

What happens next

The immediate next step is the developer search, not construction. NJ Transit and its partners must receive and evaluate proposals before choosing a development partner.

Any eventual project would require additional decisions and approvals. Until the procurement advances, the Bayonne station-area property remains a development opportunity rather than a confirmed housing or retail project.

Sources

• Governor’s Office announcement on the Bayonne transit-oriented development solicitation
• NJ Transit Development bid documents
• Senator McKnight’s Bayonne development statement