Jersey City leaders say they intend to bring affordable housing and community space to a property once slated to be the North American outpost of a famed French art museum — further distancing themselves from the previous mayor’s vision for the site.
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, who took office in January, announced Monday that the city would work with Kushner Real Estate Group on new plans for the Artwalk Towers development at 808 Pavonia Ave. in Journal Square. But the announcement didn’t say how much housing the mayor and developer have in mind.
The Artwalk Towers were the latest proposed site for a satellite branch of Centre Pompidou, the modern art museum and cultural site in Paris. The push to bring a Pompidou presence to Jersey City was led by former mayor Steve Fulop. Solomon announced last month he had no intention to proceed with the plan, citing a $255 million city budget shortfall he blamed on Fulop.
"The previous administration left Jersey City with no financially responsible way to move forward with the Pompidou concept,” Solomon said in a statement Monday. "But we appreciate [Kushner Real Estate Group's] willingness to partner with us on a new vision. They came to us with a proposal for pivoting from the museum to badly needed affordable housing.
"That kind of flexibility deserves recognition," he added. "It's exactly the kind of partnership this city needs, and the type of work that will be a trademark of this administration."
Fulop — a three-term mayor who chose not to run for re-election amid a failed primary run for governor last year, and who is now president of the nonprofit Partnership for New York City — did not respond to a request for comment.
Jonathan Kushner, president of the real estate company, said it is invested in Journal Square’s future.
"We want what is best for the neighborhood and all of Jersey City and reimagining this project as affordable housing pushes forward our long-term dedication to building a better Jersey City,” Kushner said. “We're proud to partner with the city on this."
It remains unclear how much new affordable housing would be built as part of this new plan, or what the eligibility requirements for that housing will be. An announcement from the mayor’s office said more details on those aspects of the plan would be released soon.
“Journal Square's revitalization is going to be for our residents who deserve access to affordable housing and my expectation is to provide them with much needed space for community, whether that be for recreation, seniors, artists, or a mix of the above,” Councilmember Thomas Zuppa, who represents the neighborhood, said in a statement.
The Pompidou plan was first announced in 2021. Fulop initially hoped to use the Pathside Building in Journal Square to host the project.
Fulop and then-Gov. Phil Murphy both touted the plan as a major win for Jersey City and the rest of the state. But work on the project moved slowly, and political support faded away as the state grappled with budget struggles in the years since.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority pulled state funding for the project in 2024, making the Pathside Building financially untenable. Fulop and his administration pivoted to a new plan that would put the Pompidou project in Kushner Real Estate Group’s Artwalk Towers in exchange for a 30-year tax abatement.
The controversial deal was approved by the Jersey City Council in 2024. Solomon, a councilmember at the time, voted against it.
