Kushner gets going on One Journal Square project in JC (slideshow)

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Work began this week on a nearly $1 billion mixed-use development in Jersey City’s Journal Square neighborhood, with Kushner breaking ground on the project June 16.

One Journal Square will be comprised of two 64-story glass towers, offering views of the Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and downtown Manhattan. Altogether, the project will create more than 2 million square feet, including residential, retail, amenities, parking and open space—featuring 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space that Kushner said is preleased by a AAA tenant “to provide goods and services to the surrounding community.” According to a tweet from Mayor Steven Fulop, that tenant will be retailer Target.

Connecting the buildings to the physical community, and inclusive of the project, will be a new public plaza, offering green space and seating areas facing John F. Kennedy Boulevard.

That community is the well-connected, nearly 100-year-old Journal Square neighborhood, offering PATH service to lower and midtown Manhattan, Hoboken and Newark, in addition to NJ Transit and privately operated bus service.

“When you look at what’s happening in Journal Square, you’d be hard pressed to find another city in the country that can point to the amount of development in this 2-block radius,” Fulop said. “This project is bar none the most significant project we have in Jersey City and probably the most significant project in New Jersey. It’s 900 units in the first phase, it’s 64 stories tall and we’re already close to 100 feet above the flood plain level so you talk about the size of this building and what it’s doing to the skyline is really significant.”

Expected to be completed in 2026, the project is being developed by Kushner, designed by global architectural firm Woods Bagot and built by AJD Construction.

“If you can imagine this being completed in the next 36 months and all the other things in Journal Square moving forward simultaneously you can get a little bit of a glimpse of what it will be in three short years and the most important project to make that a reality is One Journal Square,” he continued.

Fulop joined Kushner principals, municipal officers and other dignitaries Thursday to celebrate the milestone.

“Today’s groundbreaking for One Journal Square has been several years in the making for us, and we are thrilled to begin the physical build-out of what we believe will be the crown jewel of this resurgent neighborhood and an important asset for all of Jersey City,” said Kushner CEO Laurent Morali. “Our steadfast commitment to moving this pivotal project forward was founded in our strong belief in Journal Square, both in its present and in its future, and we look forward to bringing our vision to life.”

Added President Nicole Kushner Meyer, “One Journal Square will offer an unparalleled lifestyle experience for residents through thoughtful design, upscale finishes and appointments, state-of-the-art amenities enhanced by our partnership with Restoration Hardware, and a well-connected location brimming with culture and diversity.” That experience will afford residents amenities including a chef’s kitchen, lounges and a full suite of health and wellness options.

“It also reflects our commitment as developers to transform neighborhoods and invest money that positively impacts communities,” Kushner Meyer added.

At this week’s groundbreaking, Kushner announced a collaboration with JCArts to showcase an installation at the property. The series of 36 black and white portraits, created by local high school students to promote mental health awareness in the classroom and workplace, are part the Inside Out Project launched by French artist JR, which “helps individuals and communities make a statement and raise awareness.”

Kushner has had a busy June, celebrating the groundbreakings of two other projects – East Hanover’s first luxury residential apartments and a four-story senior community underway in Fair Lawn.