Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), a Jersey City mayoral candidate, and Tom Zuppa, who is running for the Ward C council seat on O’Dea’s ticket, are urging Hudson County not to further delay the Courthouse Park project that was announced in late 2019.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“As a county commissioner and a longtime advocate for open space, I was dismayed to hear that county government is considering delaying this critical project that will significantly enhance quality of life for residents of Journal Square,” O’Dea said in a statement.
“A deal is a deal, and the county needs to do everything in its power to stick with the original timeline and not deny the people the park they were promised due to planning issues. We should be finding a way to accommodate the necessary county personnel at the Brennan Courthouse or at other county facilities rather than delaying this park from being built.”
Park advocates were recently alerted to a potential three year delay in the creation of the park, and now O’Dea and Zuppa are joining with them to rally public support for keeping the Journal Square park on schedule.
To that end, the duo is also urging residents to attend a community meeting on Tuesday June 3rd, 7 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church (basement), located at 511 Pavonia Ave., to show support for Courthouse Park.
Courthouse Park is planned to be built on the site of the current Hudson County Administration Building at 595 Newark Ave., which is scheduled to be demolished and replaced by the new Frank Guarini Justice Complex, which is set to open across the street soon.
“Journal Square has seen an unprecedented level of development and in our fight for affordability and to improve quality of life so residents can afford and want to stay in this community, Courthouse Park presents an opportunity to create the open space that our residents need and deserve,” added Zuppa.
“It would be unacceptable to put the park as currently planned in jeopardy by delaying it for another three years so we need to prioritize the needs of the community and get this project going now.”
Construction, which was initially slated for 2023, has already been delayed once due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The people of Journal Square were promised this park in 2019 by Jersey City and Hudson County, and we have been incredibly patient during the construction process of the Guarini Courthouse, putting up with numerous delays and an upheaval in our quality of life,” said longtime local resident and park advocate Laura Moss.
“Waiting another three years to begin building Courthouse Park is not acceptable to the dedicated advocates who have put their time and energy into fighting for this park, as well as to all Jersey City residents who need more open space. Delaying the project also imperils the funding and will drive up costs.”
She also thanked O’Dea and Zuppa for their efforts before encouraging residents and supporters to attend tomorrow’s meeting.
At a community meeting in March 2024, the price tag for the park was approximately $14 million.
On Tuesday afternoon, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy said in a statement that any further delays to the project would not come from the county.
“Let me be as clear as I can – there will be no delay caused by the County. The fact of the matter is that the estimated cost to abate and demolish 595 Newark Avenue is between $17 and $25 million, a cost to be borne by the City of Jersey City. We have been working hand in hand with Jersey City. The City of Jersey City needs to appropriate these funds before this project can move forward,” he proclaimed.
“Additionally, as with any large project, there is a very specific order of processes; this is not debatable. There are numerous architectural, engineering, and zoning items that must be addressed before construction can take place. These are items to be addressed by the City of Jersey City, which is also obligated to bear the cost.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated with a comment from Hudson County Executive Craig Guy.
