Jersey City Approves Adaptive Reuse Plan for Historic St. Mark’s Hall

March 18, 2025

443 Jersey 1 — The former St. Mark’s property at 443 Jersey Avenue will be converted into residences under a recently approved plan. Image courtesy Weckenmann Architecture.

A church dating to the late 19th century will soon be repurposed into condominiums. A vacant but historic building in Downtown Jersey City will see new life as a residential property.

Jersey City’s Zoning Board has officially greenlit a plan for 443-447 Jersey Avenue, which has most recently been home to the New Bethel Baptist Church since the 1950s. The structure was first built as St. Mark’s Hall sometime during the late 1800s but has sat empty in recent years despite its impressive architectural details.

443 Jersey Historic — A historic photo of the property, which remains mostly intact. Image courtesy the application via City of Jersey City.

Under a plan from Glen Ridge-based Ridge Restoration, which will partner with Elder Tree Capital on the endeavor, most of those flourishes will remain intact.

The development’s designer is Weckenmann Architecture, which worked on the effort to convert St. Paul’s Convent in The Heights to residences and a larger industrial conversion development on West Side Avenue.

The revitalization will keep the house of worship in the northern portion of the lot mostly intact, along with a two-family “vestry” building in the southern section of the property. A fourth story will be added to the church, along with a new glass curtain wall to replace the rear wall, preserving the building’s historic charm while filling the space with natural light.

443 Jersey 2 — A glass curtain wall addition will be coming to the rear of the property. Image courtesy Weckenmann Architecture.

The 10 condominiums in the development will include three two-bedroom spaces, with the remainder of the units featuring three bedrooms. According to the project’s application, one of the residences will be designated as affordable housing.

Eight of the units in the development will be duplexes, and every residence will have allocated private outdoor space in the form of a rear yard, terrace, or roof deck. The property’s cellar level will feature common areas that include a fitness center, amenity room, and storage spaces for residents.

443 Jersey 3 — Image courtesy Weckenmann Architecture.

The city’s Zoning Board granted the development variances related to the maximum building height and for including no parking component. Other deviations were also allowed for minimum rear yard, max building coverage, and maximum lot coverage.

An estimated timeline for the construction of the project, which is situated about a block from Van Vorst Park, has not been announced.