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 around the 1960s.

"The Holland Tunnel extension and then electric rails were invented around the same time. The tunnel started bringing people across to Jersey City," said Rahid Cornejo, Project Director at the Bergen Arches Preservation Coalition. "There was no need for a steam engine, and at some point that died out, and at some point, the property became almost abandoned."

The property 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.

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.

"Whatever they do down there, they have the right to do what they want because it's their property. We are advocating for an added greenway component," Cornejo said. "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."

In a statement, NJ Transit told News 12, "NJ Transit is firmly committed to working with developers of the greenway to ensure both the greenway and mass transit use can be successfully achieved side-by-side."