Despite Journal Square giving it a run for its money in recent years, the Downtown neighborhood of Jersey City has long been the development hotspot. The summer of 2026 has seen another round of construction ramp up from the area near the Hoboken border all the way down to the shadow of Liberty State Park.
The northernmost development in Jersey City’s Downtown is also perhaps the most notable new tower. Situated at 20 Long Slip, the project was designed by New York-based Arquitectonica with Executive Architect work by Hill West.
The development, the first of a three-phase endeavor, is well underway with stucco work beginning on the lower floor. It will eventually top out at 526 feet and feature 530 residential units plus 2,364 square feet of retail space facing a future 18th Street extension. Many of the residential units will sport curved balcony spaces taking advantage of the views.
Heading west, a joint venture from The Albanese Organization, BXP, and CrossHarbor Capital Partners is revitalizing 290 Coles Street. The development will bring 670 apartments and 13,000 square feet of retail space within two residential towers rising 14 and 21 stories above a six-level podium.
Just across Coles Street Park, a U-shaped development at 305 Coles Street will consist of two 12-story buildings featuring a total of 511 residential units that will connect directly to the greenspace. A new pedestrian plaza has already been built along 17th Street between the development’s two buildings, which will front the six retail storefronts set to total 9,790 square feet included in the complex.
After years of planning, the revitalization of the historic St. Lucy’s Church has finally gone vertical. Work to restore and expand the former St. Lucy’s Shelter began years ago, with a modern shelter facility opening in 2023 to replace the previous one that ran out of the historic building.
The historic structure is slated to be converted into a glass-heavy development from Claremont Development, with a 23-floor glass addition already rising behind the main church structure. 444 residential apartments, including 13 affordable housing units, will be featured at the redeveloped building along with 251 parking spaces and 5,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
Heading south, work is wrapping up on 420 Marin Boulevard. Now known as Everton, the second $620 million phase of Hudson Exchange comes from Brookfield Properties and G&S Investors.
The 60-story complex will include 802 rental apartments and 115,000 square feet of retail space, 85,000 square feet of which will house a new ShopRite supermarket to replace the aging facility across the street. Signage has already gone up for the new market, which does not officially have an opening date just yet.
Infrastructure upgrades are happening Downtown as well. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began work on a modern substation in Jersey City that hopes to end the long-running saga involving the Hudson & Manhattan Powerhouse, an existing substation behind the hulking industrial structure that was built in 1908.
A triangular lot just north of the Powerhouse is buzzing with construction of a new substation will include system provisions to run traction power, signals, emergency ventilation, auxiliary power, switching, and communications for the PATH system. The Port Authority will be turning over ownership of the historic powerhouse to Jersey City when the new structure is finished.
Heading south and back to the waterfront, Harborside 8 from Panepinto Properties has started to go vertical. The eventual 68-story tower will include 678 units plus two large retail spaces while creating a new road just north of the development.
Staying along the Hudson River, 50 Hudson has started to rise at the site of a former underground parking facility. The existing 467-space garage is being reused while adding a 42-story tower with a two-story podium that tops out at 476 feet.
Tishman Speyer is behind the 924-unit project, which will expand the existing retail and seating area along Morris Street by about an acre and include another 10,000 square feet of storefront space. The tower is anticipated to be completed in 2028.
Tishman’s other development at 55 Hudson just across the street is wrapping up construction and will soon house a Trader Joe’s on the ground floor.
Heading inland, work is ramping up at 251 Grand Street. One of two developments underway from the master developer of the sprawling Liberty Harbor enclave, the 12-story building has topped out and begun exterior work.
Designed by MHS Architecture, the 106-unit development aims for a new-meets-old look with the first three floors utilizing a cast stone veneer component. The ground floor will include a total commercial space area of 3,241 square feet.
Just a block away, the other endeavor from the Liberty Harbor master developer is 250 Morris Boulevard. The construction work has already extended Morris Boulevard to connect to both Tidewater and Grove Streets and the project has officially gone vertical, with a few floors of concrete poured.
Set to rise just over 196 feet, the 300-unit development will feature a two-story Montessori School spanning 12,000 square feet along with a separate retail storefront Grove Street across from Morris Square Park.
Other notable developments that deserve an honorary mention:
Harborside 4
The 800-unit tower from Related Companies has not gone vertical yet but has several cranes on site and should start to rise soon.
195 Grand Street
Several pile drivers are on the site of Silverman’s two-tower redevelopment of the former Golden Cicada property.
107 Morgan
This 34-story tower from LCOR also has pile drivers on site and has seen consistent activity since the spring months.
