▁and ▁the ▁dry d ock s ▁of ▁Beth le hem ▁Sh ip building ▁Corporation ▁and ▁Tod d ▁Sh ip building ▁domin ated ▁the ▁northern ▁portion ▁for ▁many ▁years . ▁On ▁June ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁a ▁large ▁fire ▁at ▁the ▁Nord deutsch er ▁Lloyd ▁pi ers ▁killed ▁numerous ▁people ▁and ▁caused ▁almost ▁$ 1 0 ▁million ▁in ▁damage . ▁The ▁southern ▁portion ▁( which ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁U . S . ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁Hamburg - American ▁Line ) ▁was ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁under ▁em inent ▁domain ▁at ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁after ▁which ▁it ▁became ▁( with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Hudson ▁County ) ▁a ▁major ▁East ▁Coast ▁cargo - sh ipping ▁port . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Inter state ▁Highway ▁System ▁and ▁container ization ▁sh ipping ▁facilities ▁( part icular ly ▁at ▁Port ▁New ark - El iz abeth ▁Marine ▁Terminal ), ▁the ▁do cks ▁became ▁ob sole te , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁were ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁abandoned . ▁A ▁large ▁sw ath ▁of ▁River ▁Street , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Barb ary ▁Coast ▁for ▁its ▁ta ver ns ▁and ▁board ing ▁houses ▁( which ▁had ▁been ▁home ▁for ▁many ▁dock work ers , ▁sail ors , ▁merchant ▁mar in ers , ▁and ▁other ▁se amen ) ▁was ▁le ve led ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁urban ▁renew al ▁project . ▁Though ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁conf isc ated ▁area ▁had ▁been ▁returned ▁to