Jersey City’s forgotten hub is now the hottest construction zone in NJ

We’re all already so used to hearing news about Jersey City being the new paradigm for Urban rebirth. So it doesn’t surprise anybody that they just keep on making it better, changing, and improving.

Journal Square transforms into a modern hub

Journal Square is the heart and soul of Jersey City. But being that it’s not on the water, it is the place that still feels neglected for so long. If you haven’t been to Journal Square in a while, brace yourself. It doesn’t even look like the same place!

And while Jersey City’s old hub had gone through many changes, it now has projects rising on every block.

The most obvious is Kushner’s One Journal Square, finally leasing its 1,700+ apartments and opening up a shiny new Target on the ground floor. And are you even really a city if you don’t have a Target?

New towers and student hub reshape the skyline

The public plaza is partly open, the roads are freshly paved, and the PATH entrance feels more like an actual gateway than a construction zone. Across the street, the historic Loew’s Jersey Theater is wrapped in scaffolding, getting a $72 million facelift that should be ready next year.

Not far away, 505 Summit is nearly finished. It’s a 54-story tower with more than 600 residences, retail, and its own plaza. Hudson County Community College is also building its new Center for Student Success, complete with classrooms, a gym, a black box theater, and even a healthcare lab.

Major projects bring bold new energy

Imperial Tower is restarting with plans for 55 stories of apartments, hotel rooms, and rooftop dining. A block-long mixed-use complex on Tonnelle Avenue with office space and a pool deck. The striking Singh Tower, already visible from the Hudson, with hopes of linking to a future Bergen Arches greenway.

And the formerly hardscrabble Cottage Street is unrecognizable. Between The Cottage, a 622-unit project, and 35 Cottage Street with apartments, retail, and even a Chabad synagogue, the once-quiet block is now one of the busiest construction corridors in the city. Add in Namdar’s 612 Pavonia Avenue around the corner, and Journal Square is on track for one of the biggest urban makeovers in the state.