Economic Development
Infrastructure Update – Week of May 18, 2026
This Week in Policy, Energy Infrastructure & Transportation
Economic Development
Infrastructure Update – Week of May 4, 2026
Welcome to the first infrastructure update, a weekly newsletter highlighting infrastructure news in New Jersey and neighboring states.
Economic Development
Cargo traffic rose at Port of NY and NJ in 2025 despite tariff uncertainty [ROI-NJ]
Cargo volume at the Port of NY & NJ rose in 2025 despite tariff uncertainty, up 2.3% from 2024 and marking the port’s third-busiest year on record.
Economic Development
North Brunswick Train Station plan advances to final design stage [BINJE]
The proposed North Brunswick Train Station is moving closer to construction. With 60% design approval secured, the project is entering the final engineering and design stage.
Economic Development
Hoboken Connect project reshapes Hoboken Terminal area
The Hoboken Connect will be a new transit-centered district, combining historic restoration, new development and public open space at Hoboken Terminal.
Economic Development
New Jersey commercial real estate sales reach $1.5B, led by Middlesex and Morris [BINJE]
Northern and central New Jersey saw about $1.5B in commercial real estate sales in late 2025, led by strong warehouse activity in Middlesex and Morris counties, along with office and retail deals.
Economic Development
The 10 largest projects awarded by the NJDOT in 2025
Where NJDOT spent its biggest dollars in 2025:
• 60% bridges
• 25% roads
• 10% traffic systems
• 6% climate resilience
A breakdown of the state’s 10 largest transportation projects.
Data Centers
$20M NJ AI Hub fund launched to boost state’s AI startups [NJBIZ]
NJEDA and CoreWeave have launched a $20M NJ AI Hub Fund to support AI startups tied to the NJ AI Hub and boost innovation and job growth statewide.
Economic Development
PSEG readies electric grid for FIFA World Cup events [BINJE]
PSEG steps up to power the 2026 FIFA World Cup in New York-New Jersey. The World Cup is expected to place unprecedented demand on infrastructure. Reliable electricity will help keep the world’s biggest soccer tournament running smoothly.
Business
PSEG encourages Governor-elect Sherrill to prioritize in-state power generation [NorthJersey.com]
"If we want a reliable, affordable, and secure energy future that truly puts New Jersey first, we need to plan and build it here, and we need to start now. PSEG is ready to do its part." - Ralph LaRossa, PSEG chair, president, and CEO
Economic Development
Major battery maker leaving N.J. to bring 1,000 jobs to Pittsburgh in $352.9M move [NJ.com]
"The country’s largest manufacturer of zinc batteries is investing $352.9 million to relocate its headquarters from Middlesex County to a larger space in Allegheny County in Pennsylvania."
Economic Development
Paramount lease marks milestone in New Jersey’s studio infrastructure boom [NJ.com]
Big win for NJ: Paramount and Skydance sign a 10-year lease at Bayonne’s 1888 Studios — set to become the largest purpose-built film production campus in the Northeast.
Economic Development
Inside the $1.6B Plan to Restart Three Mile Island [Wall Street Journal]
"The clean energy will be used to power AI servers and the electricity it generates will be sold to one company: Microsoft."
Economic Development
NJ Launches 2 GW Energy Storage Program [ReNEWS]
"New Jersey has launched a landmark energy storage initiative that aims to deliver 2GW of capacity by 2030 while cutting long-term electricity costs and strengthening grid reliability."
Data Centers
Amazon to invest $20 billion in Pennsylvania to expand cloud infrastructure [Reuters]
"The investment in Pennsylvania comes less than a week after Amazon said it will invest $10 billion in North Carolina and announced plans to invest more than $5 billion in its new cloud infrastructure in Taiwan."
Economic Development
How New Jersey Landed Netflix [Hollywood Reporter]
"The gigantic renovation project, in which Netflix will turn a long-abandoned U.S. Army base into a dozen soundstages, a backlot, state-of-the-art post-production facilities, general office space and basically 500,000 square feet of all things Netflix"
Economic Development
10,000s jobs, billions in economic benefit – Regional Plan Association studies the Gateway Program
"The benefits of the program, including job creation, increased economic output, reduced congestion and pollution, and improved travel times, far outweigh the costs"
Business
LEGOLAND NY – An Economic and Infrastructure Success Story In a Region That Sorely Needs Them
"The quiet hero in this story is infrastructure. LEGOLAND NY could not exist and could not thrive unless adjacent roads were updated to accommodate the influx of up to 2,000,000 visitors a year."