Preserving an amazing natural oasis and historic resource set amongst one of the most densely populated urban areas in the nation.

Jersey City Reservoir No. 3 is a 13.8 acre decommissioned reservoir situated in the Heights neighborhood of Jersey City. The Reservoir ceased to be a water source for Jersey City in the late 80’s. It was abandoned and, over time, reclaimed by nature.

In the early 00’s, The Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance was born to preserve the site and prevent it from being demolished and redeveloped. It now works to turn the site into a passive recreation park serving the surrounding community.

Involvement

I served on the Board of Directors of the Alliance from 2005-2014. The Alliance Board is a working board that runs programs (tours, kayaking, education, and arts events), maintains the physical site, and generally works to preserve the Reservoir as open space.

The Alliance worked in partnership with the City of Jersey City and a project team made up of preservation architects, engineers, and landscape architects on the creation of a Preservation Plan and Schematic Design Concept. I worked closely with this team to move the project forward. I was the Alliance’s main contact in this effort: reviewing materials, convening meetings, assisting on site visits, and attending meetings with government contacts.

  • Public meeting

  • Michael Van Valkenburgh Assoc.‘s Matt Urbanski presents schematic design at public meeting

  • Current schematic design by Michael Van Valkenburgh Assoc.

More information about Reservoir No. 3.can be found at www.jcreservoir.org.

Additionally, I worked on the communications side of the organization, creating and managing the website and social media channels.

  • The Reservoir Alliance website

  • Early concept design

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