JERSEY CITY | 30 Journal Square Plaza | 758 FT | 72 FLOORS

[Hypothalamus]

New York YIMBY:

Revealed: 30 Journal Square
BY: NIKOLAI FEDAK ON MARCH 14TH 2014 AT 6:00 AM


30 Journal Square today, via Google Maps

Yet another tower is in the works for Journal Square, which is apparently about to become home to the fourth most impressive skyline in the New York City region; renderings have been posted on Kushner Companies’s website for an Ismael Leyva-designed skyscraper set to rise at 30 Journal Square.

The limited glimpse is still comprehensive, and the skyscraper’s bulk will be impressive; the tower will step-down towards the old Jersey Journal building at 30 Journal Square. While structures worthy of preservation are few and far between in Journal Square, the Jersey Journal’s headquarters definitely fits the bill.
...

In terms of form and function, 30 Journal Square looks to be significantly more attractive than typical outer-urban developments, and besides incorporating the building currently on-site, it will create a street-wall along the rest of its block, which speaks to the project’s pedestrian-friendly form. The rendering comes with a description noting the tower will have 525 apartments, and a floor count reveals the skyscraper will stand slightly over 40 stories tall.

No completion date has been announced, but Douglas Elliman’s website has the data for the sale of 30 Journal Square, which went for $3.525 million. Given the project was included in Kushner Companies’ 2013 brochure, it seems the acquisition was recent — and with a surge in activity encompassing surrounding blocks, construction may begin sooner rather than later.

30 Journal Square, rendering via Kushner/Ismael Leyva

[scalziand]

They're going to keep the existing Jersey Journal building? Awesome.

The new stuff doesn't look too bad either.

[Fardeb]

A little bit strange seeing this area go from zero to one hundred so fast, but I guess it means we won't have the lonely few towers out in the middle of seemingly nowhere effect for very long. It will form its own mini skyline if all these come together.

[Perklol]

Originally Posted by scalziand

They're going to keep the existing Jersey Journal building? Awesome.

The new stuff doesn't look too bad either.

At first I they were going to raze that pre-war beauty but then I read your comment

[C.]

Originally Posted by Eveningsong

At first I they were going to raze that pre-war beauty but then I read your comment

The Journal Square neighborhood is mostly built-out and I was curious if any buildings would be demolished for this one to rise. Thanks to Google Maps, it looks like it's just a surface parking lot for employees of the Jersey Journal.

Great news and great infill. It will be interesting seeing this one rise while being absolutely trumped by all the 60, 70 and possibly 80 story towers planned for the area.

[Hypothalamus]

Looking at the rendering, and the outlines of the buildings not part of the project, here is what appears to be the area that would undergo redevelopment:

[C.]

You're right. At first I thought it was just the parking lot, but on second glance that can't possibly be the case.

Thankfully that building is hideous and will not be missed.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7296...XvQxkmmNWg!2e0

[C.]

This tower is now 50 storeys.

http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/uplo...ent%20Maps.pdf

[Hypothalamus]

Unreal!

At left:



http://hpaurban.com/portfolio-item/journal-square/

[C.]

Journal Square should just be renamed Kushner Square.

That last rendering has to be the latest. Jared Kushner only bought 30 Journal Square recently. I hope that's not the final plan as it would be a shame to alter the historic Jersey Journal building. The old design was ugly but the site plan was right, by replacing the parking lot and ugly warehouse building in the back with the superstructure.

[Design-mind]

But who can say no to a roof top swimming pool with a view!

[C.]

Tower is 650ft according to Curbed

Add this 650-foot-tall tower to the list of Jersey buildings being developed by Jared Kushner. The tower will be built on the site of the former Jersey Journal, and will incorporate that newspaper's old building and former sign into the new structure.

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2015/0...est_towers.php

It will be Taller than 1 Journal Squared (562 feet tall and 54 floors) and 2 Journal Squared (635 feet tall and 60 floors). Anyone have the heights of the other twin towers across the street?

[C.]

There is movement on this one.

It's becoming a mixed-use building (retail\office\residential). The historic Jersey Journal building is being retained. Retail will be added to the base along with a new 14,000 sqft public plaza and promenade! We'll probably hear an official announcement later this year...

My analysis: 1 million+ sqft

There is no height limit in the area... it's likely getting taller. How much taller? I don't know. I have very little info to work with, but I did come up with a range, which I'm not comfortable with sharing at this point.

(60-80 stories?)

Now that 99 Hudson is on the verge of breaking ground, let's just say this project is my new fav to closely watch.
I don't want to jinx anything, but I'm all smiles.

It's hard to believe, but I feel like the planners in Jersey City are even more pro development than us skyscraper geeks.

[Crawford]

I thought this building was 702 ft. now? Or is that another Journal Square development?

I can't keep up with all the projects in this area. There are like four or five really big multi-tower complexes in planning or u/c.

[C.]

Crawford, you're thinking of 1 Journal Square across the street (the twin tower development), by the same developer: Jared Kushner. It's crazy confusing.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=210225

The first "1 Journal Square" tower is an impressive 57 story tower and 702 ft. This one has the potential to eclipse it.

[C.]

I love the history and growth of this tower

Sometime in 2013 - Jared Kushner acquires the old Jersey Journal building at 30 Journal Square for $3.5 million.

March 14, 2014 - YIMBY reports that a tower of about 40 floor residential building is planned for the site and releases the first renderings

August 26, 2015 - Jersey City's city planning department releases data showing that the tower has grown to 50 floors

September 9, 2015 - Curbed reports that the tower will rise to a height of 650 feet

September 13, 2015 - New renderings from HPA Urban show the relation of 30 Journal Square with the 56 and 70 story twin tower development across the street. Of note is the historic Jersey Journal appears to face demolition in this plan

January 25, 2016 - SkyscraperPage user CIA posts in the New York Supertall thread to alert the community of a substantial tower planned for 30 Journal Square

January 28, 2016 - Jersey City Council is set to approve a zoning amendment which will allow a mixed-use tower of over one million sqft, with a maximum tower floor plate of 12,900 sqft, and no height limit, in exchange for preservation of the 30 Journal Square building, a public plaza with a bunch of neat design features that will act as an extension of the work being done on the northside of the street, high quality retail including a possible beer garden, and a new promenade connecting Journal Square to streets at the rear of the property. Who wants to show up at the council meeting on Thursday and get more details and possible renderings?

[chris08876]

Jersey City Council and Mayor Fulop are role models. More should follow in thier footsteps.

January 25, 2016 - SkyscraperPage user CIA posts in the New York Supertall thread to alert the community of a substantial tower planned for 30 Journal Square

I like the little timeline you have. Now we just need "skyscraperpage user CIA" brings news of a 1100 foot tower.

with a maximum tower floor plate of 12,900 sqft, and no height limit

I'd love for this to be 70 floors and 1000 feet flat. I'd take it. Though I'd also like a developer who would satisfy the need for class-a, and some condos, and bump this up to 1,400 ft. Hopefully the FAA won't get their panties wet over this.

Never underestimate little JC. Its a rogue borough. Its like the Taiwan of NYC. It needs to return to the motherland, and become the 6th borough.

[C.]

So this has a couple more rounds of approval at the city but it looks to be non controversial. Will keep informed. No renderings with the exception of shitty black and white design studies.

[C.]

Told you it was a crappy rendering.

More images here: http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/uplo...ocument(2).pdf
Relevant pages 13-81, images towards the end.

[drumz0rz]

Jersey City is definitely pro-development. They're wise to realize that the market is waking up to the fact that JC is closer to Manhattan than most of the outer boroughs. People (millennials mostly) are flocking to the city, so why not try to capture as much of that as possible?

The trade off is that they're giving out multi-year tax abatements to the developers so they're bringing in lots of new residents without increasing the tax revenue to fully support them all. The good news is that they have scaled down the length yet it hasn't seemed to slow developers down at all.

Another benefit JC has going for it (specifically the waterfront areas) is that the infrastructure was built out to support heavy industry, so adding thousands of new units isn't going to overburden the existing utilities allowing new buildings to go up much faster without needing to wait for the supporting infrastructure to catch up.