After a warning signal, a number of back-to-back loud booms rocked a small portion of northeastern Bayonne, scaring a flock of geese as dust rose over the city at around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8.
Two six-story, 1940s-era buildings had been imploded by Lincoln Equities Group (LEG) at the former Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne (MOTBY). LEG, a real estate firm based in East Rutherford, is owner and developer of the site.
LEG demolished the 1.5 million-square-foot buildings to make way for a United Parcel Service (UPS) regional hub facility, dubbed Lincoln Logistics Bayonne.
In July of 2020, the Bayonne City Council adopted an ordinance granting LEG a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement for a term of thirty years. In return, LEG agreed to demolish the buildings on the site, among other public improvements.
Watch video footage of the implosion at www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TDAKVbjfSs.
Bayonne’s military history
The buildings at the 153-acre site were constructed by the U.S. military, which conducted operations from 1942 to 1999 on the manmade peninsula that extends into New York Harbor.
The site was used by the U.S. Navy as a supply depot during World War II. It was acquired by the U.S. Army in 1967, but closed in the late 90s amid a wave of base closures.
Because the imploded buildings were constructed to withstand a bomb blast, the crew had to remove panels before the blast that made them bomb-proof. Workers cut inside columns to place the explosives.
This is the second of two implosions at the site. In 2018, a demolition crew imploded a 175-foot smokestack and a 150-foot steel water tower.
Regional hub in the works
The demolition of the site’s last remaining structures marks the completion of three years of site preparation, clearing the way for construction of the UPS facility.
“Since purchasing the massive site in 2018, our crews have worked steadily to ready it for construction, which involved importing over one million tons of clean fill to raise the site out of the flood plain and demolishing multiple former U.S. military buildings,” said LEG President Joel Bergstein. “Now, construction can begin on the 1.4-million-square-foot logistics complex that will create thousands of jobs and play a vital role in expanding the local overall economy.”
Earlier this year, UPS became the site’s anchor tenant after signing a lease for a 886,256-square foot space for a regional hub and package distribution center.
Bringing jobs to the city
The UPS facility is expected to create over 1,000 jobs and is one of the state’s largest industrial transactions this year.
“We’re excited for the opportunity and growth that this project will bring to the people of Bayonne and the state of New Jersey,” said Bayonne Mayor James Davis. “Lincoln Logistics Bayonne will enable our city to serve as a major focal point for shipping, logistics, supply chain and innovation, and this implosion is the final step before construction begins.”
Construction is expected to be completed by 2023.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
