An affiliate of a major New Jersey real estate company is planning to take over the liquor license of a longtime Jersey City institution.
Harborside Hospitality Corp. has formally applied for a person-to-person transfer of the plenary retail consumption license that has long been used by Casino in the Park, Inc. across from the lake in West Side’s Lincoln Park. A legal notice from the Jersey City Municipal Board of Alcoholic Beverage Control shows that Harborside Hospitality Corp. is a subsidiary of the Mack-Cali Realty Corporation and that the firm’s officers are Mack-Cali CEO Michael DeMarco and Mack-Cali General Counsel Gary Wagner.
Before its previous operator hosted their final function in December 2017, Casino in the Park was long home to political events, banquets, weddings, and other functions. The Sweeney family operated the restaurant and banquet hall for close to 60 years, according to The Jersey Journal, taking over the venue just a few years after it opened in 1950.
Lincoln Park and the Casino in the Park building are both under Hudson County’s ownership. The county issued a Request for Proposals in January for “qualified and experienced entities” to operate a business within the space.
Meanwhile, Mack-Cali is moving forward with many changes to the Harborside complex along the Hudson River in Ward E. As part of the renovation and expansion, there are plans for a cocktail bar and lounge along with multiple dining establishments. Last year, Harborside Hospitality Corp. transferred a liquor license that it possessed to the owners of Manhattan’s Pig and Khao restaurant, who opened Piggyback Bar at Harborside.
