METUCHEN, New Jersey — Borough officials say a long-blighted industrial property is nearing a public comeback as the largest open park space in Metuchen, with improvements expected to wrap up later this spring.
In a Facebook post, Mayor Jonathon M. Busch said that borough officials recently met with Middlesex County representatives and the developers of The Kempson to finalize plans for a 32-acre section of the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve that will soon open for public use.
According to the mayor’s post, the site was closed off for decades and characterized by heavy industrial remnants, including large warehouse buildings, a deteriorating concrete pad once used for truck and trailer operations, and polluted soil littered with debris such as car parts and tires. The area, Busch wrote, was largely unseen by residents and defined by neglect.
The redevelopment plan described in the post would convert the property into an accessible park space with a network of paved, grass, and gravel walking paths, along with open meadows. Busch said the project also includes an observation deck overlooking Dismal Brook after cleanup, plus a pollinator garden and interpretive signage to highlight the area’s natural and historical significance.
A public parking area is also part of the plan, the mayor wrote, aimed at creating “unprecedented access” to the preserve for residents.
Busch framed the effort as the product of a public-private partnership involving the borough, the county, and the private development team tied to The Kempson, describing the transformation as a shift from a long-overlooked industrial parcel to a public place built around nature and connection.
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