Taxes, lawsuits, and abatements will take center stage at the New JSQ Community Association monthly meeting on August 13. Mayor Steve Fulop is set to join the conversation to discuss the future of Journal Square at the event, which will take place at the HCC STEM Building.
Members of the Community Association said they expect Mayor Fulop to speak on the One Journal Square development and subsequent lawsuit by Kushner Companies and KABR Group, as well as changes to the taxes and incentives offered in Journal Square. The meeting will allow neighborhood residents to engage the administration on the many challenges Journal Square has faced as a result of the rapid development seen in recent years.
Planning director Annisia Cialone, who is set to replace Jersey City director of Housing, Economic Development, and Commerce Marcos Vigil on August 10, will attend the monthly meeting alongside Mayor Fulop.
KRE’s Journal Squared, Hartz Mountain and Panepinto’s 3 Journal Square, and Nest Micro-apartments, while representing a small fraction of the investment in the neighborhood, are set to add over 2,000 units to Journal Square alone. And these developments, while significant according to the mayor, represent only a small fraction of the overall investment Journal Square has seen and is set to see in the coming years.
In March of this year, The New JSQ Community Association published its official position on the Journal Square 2060 Redevelopment Plan, calling for amendments that included increased attention to open spaces, road safety, and increased inclusionary zoning in Journal Square.
“The public image of Journal Square is in dire need of a makeover, and more open space will help,” the Community Association said in its official position. “As the population grows, it is important to promote transportation alternatives to private cars and to beautify the public space.”
With the many groundbreakings and developments already in progress, the neighborhood has also attracted a number of new retailers including Chipotle, Bubble Tea, and Flatbread Grill, to name a few.
The meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m. at the HCC STEM Building, located at 263 Academy Street.
