The Cove, Jersey City

The Cove in Jersey City is a multi-phase waterfront redevelopment project situated on an urban site at the terminus of the Morris Canal Basin along the southern edge of downtown Jersey City with direct vehicular and public transit connections to Manhattan. The site is part of the Grand Jersey Redevelopment Plan, issued in 2017, and is comprised of eight parcels located adjacent to existing medical, science, and cultural facilities. Once complete, The Cove will create a new nexus for science and innovation in the greater New York City Area.

The Cove creates a fully programmed, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use “15-Minute City” that provides the people who live, work, and play in the development everything they need within a 15-minute walk. Included in the multi-phase redevelopment are 1.6 million square-feet of residential facilities and 1.4 million square-feet of academic and commercial life science laboratory and office spaces. The development also includes several amenities such as retail, parking, cafes, and parks.

The development is planned around the laboratory buildings, which will serve as the nucleus for the rest of the development, sparking new ideas and fostering collaboration and innovation throughout the site. The Cove’s integrated community blurs the line between laboratory spaces for academic institutions and commercial life science research and development. Throughout the research and development laboratories, the transparency and porosity of the design puts research on display to the broader public, building trust and an engaged community around life sciences.

The development includes multi- family market rate residential units that include amenities such as gyms lounges, private pool decks, and event rooms. The units also highlight riverfront and Manhattan views. The residential facilities feature a range of unit styles and incorporates a mixture of high and low-rise buildings.

Incorporating the surrounding natural environment and sustainable design as central design elements, The Cove creates a healthy, active, and holistic outdoor experience. The design rehabilitates existing green spaces and introduces additional green spaces at varying scales to provide a range of outdoor environments for users. Biophilic design strategies are used to improve the wellness of the development’s users. The integration of plant life, natural materials, pedestrian friendly access through the site, and ample opportunities for exercise and social engagement all contribute to creating a healthy and productive environment.

Given the waterfront site, the project’s design carefully considers resilience. The entire site is elevated to prevent against flooding and damage from storm surge and sea level rise. Additionally, the waterfront edge of the site will be made primarily of a permeable natural barrier of native flora that, in addition to preventing against flooding, will improve local water and air quality. The design will also restore the coastal habitat after hundreds of years of degradation and contamination.

Further contributing to the project’s sustainability is its integration of Aquathermy, which is a wastewater geo-exchange system that will harvest energy from the central wastewater system underneath the site and will completely fulfill heating and cooling energy demands for the development throughout the year.