The proposed Airport City announced just before Christmas would contain 11 million sq. ft. of new office and commercial space, four million sq. ft. for airport logistics, a new 300-room hotel and at least 3,500 new housing units. As well, there will be another 130 acres of open space, including bike lanes, a promenade and new parks.
“I think if you look at opportunities across this country of where you can build housing, entertainment, hotels, etc. – obviously near an airport where there’s transportation and roads … we thought it was just ripe for some sort of long-term, bigger planning and larger thought process than just rebuilding terminals and roads,” NJTV News quoted NYBC president and CEO Carlo Scissura as saying.
Some aspects of the concept are already under-way, including the $2.7 billion Terminal One Project and plans for replacing the AirTrain.
“We are committed to getting this project done on time and on budget and it is only the beginning,” the broadcaster quoted Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as saying in October. “We are building a brand new Newark Airport AirTrain, and we are committed to starting on the process of replacing Terminal B with a new Terminal Two. We are committed to a world-class Newark Airport.”The Port Authority also has green-lighted extension of PATH service to the airport, which would travel through a mostly industrial south Newark neighborhood, making housing and commercial development feasible. Improvements to NJ Transit’s Elizabeth train station have also begun.
