TRENTON—State lawmakers advanced legislation Monday that would protect large swaths of Liberty State Park from privatization and development. The Senate Environment and Energy Committee cleared the Liberty State Park Protection Act 5-0 on March 17.
This measure would limit privatization of the 1,212-acre urban park in Jersey City. It establishes a Liberty State Park Advisory Committee and requires the Department of Environmental Protection to consult the panel before entering or extending any agreements. DEP would be restricted from conveying, leasing or transferring any property rights in the park and at the adjacent Caven Point.
Suntex Marina Investors currently operates Liberty Landing Marina at the park's northern entrance. Suntex Marinas, the largest standalone recreational marina owner in the US by marina count and boat slips, is owned by Centerbridge Partners private equity. The Texas-based company proposed a 60-year contract extension to build a 70-75 foot high, 2.3-3 acre dry boat storage warehouse holding 500 luxury yachts. The State House Commission approved this arrangement 5-2 on January 15, 2026.
Eight environmental groups sued the State House Commission on February 26, 2026 to block the approval. "The 60-year lease, allowing the construction of a massive boat storage warehouse, would severely damage the park's character, openness, purpose, and legacy," said Friends of Liberty State Park President Sam Pesin.
The arrangement remains unsigned by the DEP Commissioner. Governor Mikie Sherrill has the power to direct DEP not to sign. "The governor has the opportunity to direct NJDEP not to sign this lease, and to perform a more careful assessment of the value of the marina and the parkland," said Emile DeVito of New Jersey Conservation Foundation.
State Sen. Raj Mukherji, the bill's prime sponsor, called the park a "national treasure." "It is a refuge for imperiled wildlife. It is a keeper for this country's rich, diverse history," the Jersey City Democrat said. "It's the people's park. When you encroach on the people's land, you encroach on the will of the people and you encroach on democracy."
The contract would generate $122 million over 60 years, with annual rent increasing from $300,000 to $800,000 minimum. Suntex offered $30 million toward bulkhead replacement in exchange for warehouse approval. The facility would violate a 1990 National Park Service ruling limiting development to one-half acre.
Liberty State Park opened in 1976 on the site of abandoned rail facilities built on landfills. Morris Pesin, a Jersey City businessman and activist, spearheaded the grassroots campaign to create the park after a 1957 canoe trip to the Statue of Liberty demonstrated how close New Jersey was to the landmark. Caven Point, a 20-acre undeveloped waterfront peninsula to the park’s East, has been targeted for development by multiple proposals including a golf course expansion by billionaire Paul Fireman.
Prior development threats have also included a Formula One racetrack, a 90-story casino, and a sports complex. The 2019 version of the protection bill stalled in committee.
Sources
- Hudson County View (March 17, 2026)
- NJ Spotlight News (March 17, 2026)
- NJ Senate Democrats (March 11, 2026)
- NJ Conservation Foundation (December 2019)
- Hoboken Girl (February 4, 2026)
- Jersey Vindicator (February 4, 2026)
- NJ Department of Environmental Protection (January 14, 2026)
- Suntex Marinas Official Website - Friends of Liberty State Park / Save Our Shoreline (February 2026)
- New Jersey Globe / Insider NJ (January 2026)