A $75 million effort to revamp a waterfront complex into a 24/7 destination has been underway for some time and the first signs of headway on the property’s exterior have started to show up in recent weeks.
One of the most prominent properties along Jersey City’s waterfront is 210 Hudson Street, also known as Harborside. Mack-Cali first revealed plans to extensively overhaul their complex in September 2017 and the following year, new lobbies and a ferry terminal were completed.
2019 saw the opening of District Kitchen at Harborside, a food marketplace featuring 13 local vendors. Manny’s District Lounge opened back in October and since that time, major construction has been underway along the east side of the building.
NYC-based SJP Properties is managing the overhaul of the building, which was designed by Elkus Manfredi. Their recent work includes the reskinning of Harborside’s exterior, which will be re-clad as a sparkling curtain wall that’s decidedly more modern than the previous façade. Current work is focused on the section of the building that formerly housed Piggyback Bar, which closed in 2019 after two years in the building.
Work at the site is humming right along, as about half the exterior of the building’s first three floors have been completed. Those strolling along the Hudson River walkway or the waterfront of Manhattan’s west side have had a front-row seat to the transformation, which is looking to bring back the industrial roots of the property.
Mack-Cali has not announced any specific timeline for the project’s completion, but the changes to Harborside’s exterior will likely be the most arduous part of the renovation. Fresh off Whole Foods relocating their northeast headquarters to the building late last year, 2020 is looking like it could be the year that Mack-Cali’s vision for Harborside starts to come together.