NJ TRANSIT housing proposal reaches key August 18 deadline for Bayonne site

Developers interested in turning two NJ TRANSIT parking lots near Bayonne 34th Street Station into a mixed-use housing project must submit a Notice of Intent by 4 p.m. Eastern on August 18, 2026.

The deadline is the next major step in NJ TRANSIT’s effort to find a development partner for approximately 4.3 acres immediately south of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station. Full proposals will be due by 4 p.m. Eastern on September 23, 2026.

No developer has been selected, and the project has not been approved for construction. The solicitation does not yet establish a final unit count, financing package, construction schedule or approved site plan.

What developers must submit

The opportunity is listed as RFQ/P No. RE26-952 in NJ TRANSIT’s development bid documents. Interested parties must first submit the Notice of Intent. The agency says respondents will receive information and instructions for submitting proposals after filing that notice.

The September 23 deadline is for full proposals, not for selecting a developer or starting construction. Any proposal would still have to move through NJ TRANSIT’s review process and required planning and approvals.

NJ TRANSIT’s procurement page lists the solicitation, appendices, exhibits, financial-offer template and subsequent addenda. Developers must register on the procurement site to download the documents.

What NJ TRANSIT is seeking

The agency’s concept calls for apartments, ground-floor retail or commercial space and public areas around the station. The solicitation calls for at least 20% of the housing to be affordable to low- and moderate-income households.

That figure is a minimum solicitation requirement. It is not a completed affordability commitment because the number of apartments and the eventual affordability structure remain unknown.

NJ TRANSIT’s stated goals for the site also include commuter parking, bus connections, bicycle infrastructure, micromobility improvements, streetscape work, wayfinding, signage and accessibility features. The agency also says sustainable and resilient design practices and commuter amenities should be considered. The final obligations will depend on the solicitation, the selected proposal and later approvals.

Why the site matters to Bayonne riders

Bayonne 34th Street Station is used by approximately 1,484 light-rail customers on a typical weekday, according to the governor’s announcement. A selected project could therefore affect more than future residents. Riders and nearby neighbors may eventually see changes to parking, pedestrian routes, bus connections, bicycle access and the way people enter and move through the station area.

The current site consists of two surface parking lots. Because no final design has been chosen, it is not yet clear how much parking would remain, how replacement spaces would be arranged or how construction would affect station access. Those details are issues Bayonne residents and commuters should watch as the procurement advances.

Part of NJ TRANSIT’s broader land strategy

The Bayonne solicitation is part of NJ TRANSIT’s broader effort to use agency-owned property for housing, station improvements and non-farebox revenue. The agency’s LAND Plan projects as much as $1.9 billion in non-farebox revenue for NJ TRANSIT over 30 years, along with potential revenue for the state and municipalities. Those figures are projections for the broader plan, not guaranteed proceeds from the Bayonne property.

NJ TRANSIT has described the strategy as a way to activate portions of its real estate portfolio while supporting housing, jobs, station-area improvements and ridership. In June, the agency’s board authorized a master development agreement and ground lease for a separate mixed-use project at Red Bank Station, showing how the strategy can advance beyond the solicitation stage. Bayonne has not reached that stage.

What happens next

For developers, the immediate deadline is the Notice of Intent at 4 p.m. Eastern on August 18. Full proposals are due at 4 p.m. Eastern on September 23.

For residents, the practical questions will come later: which developer, if any, is chosen; how many homes are proposed; how affordability is defined and financed; how parking and transit access are handled; and what local and agency approvals are required. Until those decisions are made, the Bayonne project remains a solicitation and development concept rather than an approved construction project.

Sources

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