Courthouse Park advocates held a meeting in the basement of St. Joseph’s Church, located at 511 Pavonia Ave. in Jersey City, last night to address potential delays for the project, which remains in in flux after roughly six years.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Courthouse Park Advocacy Group President Laura Moss led the meeting, explaining that the Frank J. Guarini Justice Complex is supposed to replace 595 Newark Ave. as the County Administration Building.
“It’s filled with asbestos, it’s going to be very expensive to take this building down,” she noted.
The courts are scheduled to move into the Guarini complex by September 2025, following several delays. HCV was given a tour of the complex in September 2024 when it appeared to on the brink of opening soon.
Moss said that the surface and underground parking lots was zoned as open green spruce in the 2060 Journal Square Redevelopment Plan passed in 2010.
She further stated that former County Executive Tom DeGise and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop made a deal where Jersey City would pay to tear it down and build the park, with the city and the county approving ordinances recognizing the joint effort.
“Construction of the new park was supposed to start this summer due to their initial timeliness,” Moss stated.
“There’s not been this joint committee with people working with the county, the city, and the community together.”
She continued that a lack of communication has caused issues and questions as simple as when the Administration Building remain a mystery.
“I’m not getting specific answers,” she said, reiterating concerns that Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2) and his Ward C council candidate, Tom Zuppa, mentioned on Monday: That the construction could be delayed three years, as HCV first reported.
County Executive Craig Guy responded yesterday that it was the City of Jersey City, not the county, that must appropriate between $17 to $25 million to move the project forward.
“The county and the city … they’re not in line with what they’re doing together,” Moss highlighted, going on to say that Jersey City will be ready to honor their commitments by September.
Moss urged the crowd to reach out to their legislators to advocate for Courthouse Park. She thanked O’Dea, also a Jersey City mayoral candidate, for facilitating a meeting to applause.
“The county’s not just ready to leave. They don’t have their ducks in a row: It’s not a priority for them,” she exclaimed.
“It also has to be funded. The city has gotten an estimate. The county is throwing out numbers that are much higher,” added Russ Dover.
Moss noted there’s the underground parking garage is potentially complicating issues. She said she previously asked Guy if parking would hold it up and he said it wouldn’t.
“It should happen very soon. The issue is now at the forefront … If we don’t do something in the next 30 days, shame on us,” O’Dea said.
Moss also mentioned that power station building is considered part of the Brennan Courthouse complex, and the structure could remain as a restroom and potential cafe, though those plans aren’t finalized.
“One way or another, we have to get this done,” O’Dea declared.
He explained the city is paying for all the construction, while it will be a county park they will maintain.
Moss noted it could take 18 months to demolish and build the new park. Ideally, she would like to say that happen before the end of the year, noting that serious conversations about the project began in 2019.
