Hackensack Water Company Complex - Hackensack Reservoir No. 2

Hackensack Reservoir No. 2 was another component of the water company's system in the township, later owned by its successor, United Water. The site, slightly more than 14 acres and the largest piece of undeveloped propertry in North Hudson, is located in Weehawken Heights and is bounded by Highpoint Avenue, Gregory Avenue, 20th Street, and Palisade Avenue, the latter two of which create the border with neighboring Union City. It was built during a period of extensive urbanization of the area in the late 19th century.

The historical marker reads:

Construction of the Hackensack Water Company's Reservoir No. 2 at the southern end of the township began circa 1893 to serve the Heights section of Weehawken, surrounding Union City and West Hoboken. The reservoir, excavated on glacial trap rock, came on line in 1896 with capacity of 69 million gallons. The company also installed a covered water tank in 1893 in what is now Gregory Park.

United Water announced that it wanted to divest most of the property in early 2011 at an unofficial price of $11.5 million. The company will retain 4.2 acres to build a underground water storage tank to improve water pressure, estimated to cost $25 to $30 million. The Trust for Public Land, which appraised the site, arranged to postpone the sale of the reservoir until the end of the year.

In 2010 the township began a process to purchase the grounds. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection gave the township a $2 million grant in Green Acres funding. A $9 million low interest loan from the department's infrastructure trust program was made with the intention that in the future, as funding permits, additional grants for re-payment would be made. No interest has to be paid on three-quarters of the money and mininal interest on the other one-quarter. The township introduced a bond for $9.2 million. Weehawken and Union City are initially investing $300,000 to transform the gounds into passive recreational space. They will share the annual upkeep of the property. The completed sale was announced in December 2011.