Where Edgewater's Waterfront Walkway Still Breaks, and Why the Gaps Won't Close Together

The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway runs about 16 linear miles from southern Jersey City to the George Washington Bridge. According to the Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy, only eight gaps are left on that stretch, and half of them sit inside Edgewater. A fifth gap sits right at the borough line, on the North Bergen side of the Glass House condominiums.

Each gap is held up by something different. One is waiting on a construction schedule, one on a land survey, one on a river cleanup and one on a federal lawsuit. As of this October, the gap with cranes on it looks closer to closing than the two with courts behind them.

Starting at the south end: the gap that depends on the river

The Conservancy lists the gaps from south to north, and the first one inside Edgewater is the Quanta Superfund site. It is about 200 yards of fenced land between the Oyster Apartments at Edgewater Harbor and City Place. The Conservancy reports that cleanup of the land itself is finished and the EPA has declared it free of human health risks. The contaminated river bottom next to it has not been cleaned yet. The Conservancy says that work will take 10 or more years, and no residential project can move forward on the site until it is done.

Quanta is the one gap where a full fix and a temporary one are on very different timelines. The Conservancy says the EPA has agreed a temporary walkway could be built safely across the property. The Conservancy is discussing it with NJDEP and the new owner, and its target for closing the gap is 2027. NorthJersey.com reported in September 2025 that most of the contaminated land had sold for $135 million. The EPA progress report the borough posted on June 10, 2026 says the soil work under River Road is complete. It also lists ongoing NAPL recovery and monitoring, and it gives no schedule update for the redevelopment. No public source yet confirms an agreement on a temporary path. For now, the detour is the River Road sidewalk.

Mid-borough: the gap tied to a construction schedule

The second break is at 615 River Road, the former Hess oil tank farm between Mitsuwa and Edgewater Market. It runs several hundred yards. Of all the Edgewater gaps, this one has the clearest path to closing. The walkway is part of the development's approved plans, construction has started, and the Conservancy says the waterfront segment will be built in the first phase.

That first phase is large. NJ.com reported in October 2025 that The Maxal Group's opening building will be a 25-story rental with 381 apartments, retail and parking. It is part of a larger 1,200-unit plan that also includes a public ferry terminal and a waterfront park connected to the walkway.

The ferry piece moved forward this spring. On March 30, 2026, the Conservancy received a state waterfront permit filing from 615 River Rd Partners LLC for a ferry landing that includes a section of the walkway. Its April 7 response was unusually direct:

"As a result, the Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy strongly endorses this project and has no objections to its completion."

The 2027 target is still a target, not a confirmed opening date. But the walkway segment here depends on construction, and construction is already underway.

Next door: the gap headed back to court

Right next to 615 is the Marketplace at 725 River Road. It is an active shopping center on land owned by NJDEP and leased to the center's operator, and waterfront access there is partly blocked. The Conservancy says it tried to work with the operator on a plan for the missing segment, and it then sued NJDEP and the operator. It is the only Edgewater gap where the Conservancy lists the target date as "Unknown."

That lawsuit hit a setback less than two weeks ago. On September 30, 2026, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas granted the motion to dismiss and dismissed the Conservancy's second amended complaint without prejudice. The plaintiffs get one last chance to amend and fix the standing problems the court found. The opinion also notes that the lease on the site was extended through May 31, 2037.

Taken together, this gap could still be open after the walkway segments on both sides of it are built. If the case doesn't resolve the access question, the lease is the next natural point when it could change, and that is more than a decade away. The Conservancy's suggested detour is to cut through the shopping center parking lot to reach the walkway north of the center.

This was not the only waterfront dispute in Edgewater's courts this year. In an August 12, 2026 letter, Mayor Michael J. McPartland told residents that the Appellate Division had overturned a lower-court ruling that would have allowed a big-box retail store at 339 River Road, the former theater site. That decision puts the Planning Board's original denial back in effect.

North end: the gap with a court order and a land survey

The last Edgewater gap is Admiral's Walk, the condominium complex between Edgewater Marina and Edgewater Community Park. In January 2023, NJ.com reported on a court order barring the association from blocking public access. The size and location of the access easement were left for later proceedings. The Conservancy says Admiral's Walk now supports building the segment.

On February 17, 2026, the borough council passed Resolution 2026-089. It covers a $1.5 million grant from the state Department of Community Affairs to design and build a walkway connection between the Marina and Admiral's Walk. The resolution notes that the grant money can't be spent on the property until a conservation deed of easement is in place, so that public funds go to public property. Admiral's Walk proposed a $12,500 escrow so the borough engineer, Neglia Group, could survey the boundaries of that easement.

So in February, the boundaries of the land the walkway would cross were still being measured. The Conservancy expected construction to begin in 2026 and set this year as its target for closing the gap. That forecast was written as of November 2025, and no public source so far confirms that construction has started. The order to open the waterfront came first, but the funding and the survey had to follow before anything could be built. Until it is, walkers between the Marina and the Community Park detour along River Road.

Ranking the gaps by how fast they're moving

Here is how the five breaks compare, based on what is publicly documented as of mid-October 2026:

1. 615 River Road. Construction has begun, the walkway is in the first phase, and the ferry-landing permit has the Conservancy's full endorsement. Target 2027.
2. Admiral's Walk. There is a court order, $1.5 million in state funding and agreement from the association, but in February the easement was still being surveyed. Target 2026, start not confirmed.
3. Riverview, North Bergen. The developer has filed a public access easement, but the 300-yard site is still closed. Target 2027.
4. Quanta. A temporary path is possible, and talks with the new owner are ongoing. A permanent fix waits on a river cleanup the Conservancy expects to take 10 or more years. Target 2027 for a temporary connection.
5. Marketplace at 725 River Road. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice on September 30, the lease runs to 2037, and the Conservancy lists the target as unknown.

Walking it this fall

For a continuous waterfront stretch, the Conservancy lists Edgewater Commons at 555 New River Road and Edgewater Harbor at 15 Somerset Lane as access points. It recommends walking south from the Harbor shopping center along the newest section of the walkway. At the north end, the NY Waterway ferry landing at 989 River Road, next to Admiral's Walk, has restrooms but no public parking.

Every detour uses River Road. The borough announced that Bergen County planned to repave River Road from Main Street at Edgewater Harbor to the Fort Lee border, with nighttime milling and paving and new concrete at crosswalks. The tentative start was May 18, 2026.

The Conservancy also put some of the fall calendar toward the gaps. Its second annual 10K and a new 2K walk took place on Sunday, October 4. The 10K started at Edgewater Marina, the 2K started at Veterans Field and the Community Center, and some of the proceeds go to walkway improvements. Preliminary results are now posted.

At Ridgeco Properties, we follow Edgewater's waterfront permits and court cases as closely as its sales, because a new walkway segment changes how a stretch of River Road gets used. If you own near any of these gaps and want to know how that could affect your home's value, get your free home valuation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.