About a mile of open land in downtown Jersey City has gone unused for decades, but now two groups are both vying for the chance to repurpose it.

The parcel of land, known as the Bergen Arches, is located off Palisade Avenue and Route 139. It used to be part of a transit system for steam trains, but has not been in use since those trains were retired.

The land is currently fenced off and filled with overgrown trees and debris.

Community activists say they would like to turn it into a green space with a walking trail for residents, but the land is owned by New Jersey Transit.

"What they see it as is a potential transit-oriented project. But we've seen all these projects throughout the state and the world where you can build trains and bikeways or walkways right next to each other and still try to preserve as much of the nature around that space as possible," said Rahid Cornejo, Project Director for the Bergen Arches Preservation Coalition.

In December 2025, NJ Transit announced its intention to use the Bergen Arches land to build NJ Transit infrastructure between the Meadowlands, Secaucus and Jersey City.

NJ Transit did not immediately respond to inquiries about the latest update on the project.