A building in Downtown Jersey City dating to the 1840s is slated to be reborn as a mixed-use development that will preserve the property’s exterior while breathing new life into a former fire station.
Wayne Development Company recently shared some details with Jersey Digs about their upcoming conversion of the former Fire Department headquarters at 244 Bay Street. The company is also behind the nearby restoration and adaptive reuse of the Reformed Church of Van Vorst that is currently under construction.
Jersey City issued a Request for Proposals for the 244 Bay Street property back in 2023, just about a year after it declared the building in need of rehabilitation. Built in the 1840s era, it served as the fire headquarters between 1871 and 1933.
It was home to the Jersey City Gong Club starting in 1957, which was a volunteer organization that aided the City Fire Department. Wayne Development has now obtained approvals through Jersey City’s Historic Preservation Commission to revamp the property into a contemporary mixed-use building with ground-floor retail and two upper-story residences.
The company has received the Certificate of Appropriateness and is moving forward into the permitting and construction phase. The former garage door opening will be converted into a proper storefront as part of the work, while the second and third stories of the property will consist of two full-floor residential units.
Wayne Development shared new renderings of what the building will look like when the work is complete, which are remarkably similar and retain many of the historic details. The company also shared that they do have a retail tenant with a signed lease for the property, but are going to hold the name for now.
A firm construction timeline has not been announced for the property, which is situated just off the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza in the heart of one of Jersey City’s main retail corridors.
