Plainfield Station
All Work | NJT Plainfield Station, Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield Station
Plainfield, New Jersey
Scope
Plainfield railroad station is a landmarked complex on the NJT Raritan Valley line in central New Jersey. It is also situated within a locally designated historic district. As part of a federal mandate, the project goals from New Jersey Transit were to upgrade station facilities to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and to reactivate an unused pedestrian tunnel connecting the two station buildings. The design included making the site, stations, tunnel, and high-level platforms ADA accessible while respecting the historic character of the property.
JHPArchitects PC prepared construction documents to restore the historic eastbound station building to be accessible to people with disabilities as well as documents for restoration of the station’s interior and exterior. The vacant outbound station had no viable use and had suffered significant loss of historic fabric through previous alterations. We prepared a number of alternative restorative and new building design options. Ultimately, the client and the local preservation community selected demolition of the existing station and replacement with an historically appropriate new “Pavilion” structure in a park-like setting. The pavilion was designed to reflect the grandeur of the original three-story station building.
In addition to New Jersey Transit, JHPA worked successfully with local community representatives, and local and state historic preservation groups.