Dave Gockel remembers his first project in Jersey City. One assignment in particular stands out—being lowered 15 feet into the ground so he could provide a hands-on inspection of test pits for the installation of a massive box culvert, part of critical infrastructure for what is now Newport City. It was 1983. Back then Gockel and his Langan colleagues spent a lot of time literally underground helping to transform Jersey City from what was a heavy industrial waterfront to what it is today.

Speaking of today, Jersey City’s evolution endures, and Langan has supported more than 800 projects there. Gockel is now the President/CEO of Langan, which has grown to more than 1,000 employees in 30 offices.

Yet the firm’s “groundwork” in Jersey City continues, ably led by other Langan leaders—Len Savino, Richard Burrow, Chris Roche, Mark Seel, Bob Koto, Joe Romano, and Michael Szura, to name a few. They are directing teams of engineers, surveyors, landscape architects, and environmental scientists that apply the firm’s integrated consulting services in support of many major current projects. These include two towers at One Journal Square and 30 Journal Square; the expansion of Jersey City Medical Center; infrastructure design for the campus build-out of New Jersey City University; the state-of-the-art, award-winning Goya facility; and the preservation of the landmark Colgate Clock that anchors the southern waterfront promenade of the so-called “Gold Coast.”

“Jersey City, because of its proximity to New York, world-class infrastructure, and the pro-development attitude of city leadership, has always been and continues to be a desirable location for tenants,” said Gockel. “Fortunately, our depth and breadth of technical knowledge regarding the city’s regulatory processes and governing site conditions enables Langan to provide great value to commercial and residential developers and property owners, as well as for design teams currently engaged in hospital and higher-education projects that are re-shaping the entire city.”

If the quality and quantity of attendance at the recent Jersey City Summit indicates interest in what has been dubbed the “6th borough,” then the future of Jersey City bodes well. More than 600 developers, investors, lenders, architects, and attorneys (among others) from within and beyond the state were on hand for the one-day conference last month. Few cities in the nation attract that much attention. And few firms in the region possess the engineering and environmental knowhow and resources to help Jersey City realize its potential.