Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County seeks city OK to study Journal Square-area county parcels for mixed-income housing; eminent domain flagged as a possible tool
Summary
Hudson County Improvement Authority asked the Jersey City council to authorize a redevelopment study for several county-owned surface-parking parcels near Brennan Courthouse/Journal Square with an eye to mixed-income and deeply affordable housing. HCIA counsel said options include county-led financing, low-income housing tax credits, sale to a developer, or, if necessary for site assembly, use of eminent domain — a step council members said should proceed only with robust community engagement.
The Hudson County Improvement Authority asked the Jersey City Municipal Council on April 20 to authorize a study to determine whether several county-owned parcels near Journal Square should be designated “in need of redevelopment.” HCIA general counsel Bill Masakudis described the parcels as surface parking lots close to the Brennan Courthouse and said the county plans to pursue mixed-income housing with a meaningful share reserved for low-income households, including people with very low incomes.
Masakudis said the parcels are part of a broader county initiative to build housing on county land and described several financing options: a county-financed social-housing model (government-financed, government-owned), traditional developer-led models using low-income housing tax credits and private financing, phased awards of county open-space or other grants, or bonding by the county. Because one privately owned parcel sits in the middle of the county-owned lots, Masakudis said a redevelopment designation would enable the city to assemble the site and, if negotiations fail, to exercise eminent-domain authority for a public purpose — though he stressed he expects acquisition to proceed through arms-length negotiations and appraisals.
Council members asked for focused community outreach and for details about the housing mix. They urged HCIA to explore including supportive housing and senior units and asked that union labor and construction standards be clarified early in the design process. HCIA and the county executive’s office said they plan community meetings in affected neighborhoods and to prepare a redevelopment plan with significant public input; they acknowledged multiple votes and public hearings remain before any site would be rezoned or built. Several council members voiced general support for county efforts to add affordable units but emphasized transparent financing and detailed community engagement before council votes on redevelopment designations or plans.
No council action was taken at caucus; HCIA asked the council to authorize the study phase that begins the formal redevelopment process, which would be followed by hearings at the planning board and eventual ordinance votes if a redevelopment plan is proposed.
