You can’t miss the new skyline of Journal Square in Jersey City.
The nearly completed One Journal Square project by Kushner Companies, two 52-story towers going up next to the PATH station, already rise far above any other building. Or, at least, they will until the more than half-dozen projects of similar height in the pipeline sprout up in the next 2-3 years – bringing nearly 10,000 housing units to the area.
But if you want to see the heart of Journal Square, if you want to see the majestic venue that will serve as a centerpiece for an arts and entertainment district that many feel will rival any in the state, you have to go across the street and behind the fencing that currently encircles the historic Loew’s Jersey Theatre.
The Loew’s Jersey Theatre, which opened in 1929 but has been closed to regular use for more than 40 years, currently is being refurbished to its original look (with modern-day features) in a $130 million project funded in a unique partnership which features the city, the state and a division of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which will serve as the operator.
The restoration, being overseen by Denville-based Phelps Construction Group, will not be complete until the summer/fall of 2026, but an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour by ROI-NJ showed its potential.
From a grand foyer, glorious staircases and a multi-layered seating venue, to walls adorned by brass sculptures and old-style fabric swatches, it’s easy to see why the theater was placed on the state’s historical registry.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop sees it as a place where the past meets the present to create a better future.
“This is a special place,” he said. “It has charm and a style unlike any other theater in the area. When you walk in here, it’s like walking back in time.
“When we refurbish it, it will become the heartbeat of New Jersey from a culture and arts standpoint.”
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The funding sources for the project — including a $42 million tax credit from the N.J. Economic Development Authority in 2022, the first approval of its Historic Property Reinvestment Program — are as diverse as its potential uses.
Fulop and the Friends of Loews, an organization that has helped steer the theater for years, are determined to have numerous community-based events take place every month.
Because the ground floor will have removable seating — allowing for thousands of unencumbered square feet of space — businesses and business groups will be able to have meetings and parties.
Weddings certainly are an option, as is the ability to use the site while filming movies, TV shows and music videos.
Of course, its greatest use will be for music, entertainment and sports acts.
Sean Saadeh, the chief programming officer and head of entertainment at HBSE, said the group intends to follow the plan that has made the Prudential Center one of the top arenas in the world.
“Our mentality and strategy around our bookings is diversification of programming — from modern stars to legacy events, from K-Pop to Latin to country to comedy and sports,” he said. “Those are the type of things you’ll see in here.”
With capacities of approximately 2,500 to 4,000, Saadeh said the event gives HBSE another venue size to complement the Pru Center in Newark (up to 19,500) and White Eagle Hall in Jersey City (up to 800).
“What’s great about this venue is now we’ll be able to funnel acts between all three venues,” he said. “It’s another example of how we’re doubling down on New Jersey as a great place to host live events.
“And it’s not just music, it’s going to be sporting events. I can see us doing anything from boxing to mixed martial arts to darts to sumo.”
The ability to take out the seats on the bottom level will give Loew’s the largest general admission capacity in the state — a bonus for acts who like to play before standing crowds, Saadeh said.
Of course, that’s just one of the selling points.
Looking out at the venue from the stage, Saadah marveled at the look and feel of Loew’s Theatre — a unique setting to say the least.
“Artists are going to want to play here,” he said.
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Phelps Construction Group began working inside the theater this spring or more than a year after it started gathering materials. But don’t be fooled on the timeline. In one sense, this project has been in the works for decades — or since it was purchased by the city in 1993. It is owned by the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.
There have been numerous ideas along the way, but the effort to make it the centerpiece of Journal Square can be traced back a few years. The EDA award was one of the final funding pieces and led to Phelps Construction Group and HBSE winning a bidding process to move forward.
The abatement process, which began in April, is over. The demolition stage, which began in August, is nearly done, too.
Doug Phelps, the CEO of Phelps Construction Group, said the firm has been working to acquire the items it will need for restoration for some time, ensuring the project will be able to quickly move forward and hit the completion goal of the summer of 2026.
Phelps said the theater will get new HVAC and electrical systems and state-of-the-art sound systems. The old-style parlors will be kept (and updated) in the rest rooms, but the rest rooms themselves will be increased in size. The mezzanine level terraces will be refurbished, and concession stands will be added.
And, of course, elevators and sprinklers — and anything else needed to get the facility up to code — will be put in, too.
Phelps said his group has done many restoration projects in the past — it’s currently working at Liberty State Park — but he said the opportunity to do so never gets old.
“This is a unique project, so it brings a lot of excitement,” he said. “On these kinds of jobs, just like when we’re working out on Liberty Island, the crew really gets excited. They get it, they’re working at Loew’s Theater, not some warehouse. Morale always is high.”
Phelps estimated a third of the work involves cleaning and polishing features that have been covered in soot and grime for decades. He’ll bring in a specialty company, EverGreene, to handle that work. And when parts of the walls and ceiling need to be replaced — often due to water damage — trained artisans will be hired to do that work.
Phelps said he appreciates the venue and wants everything to be done first class.
“We’ve done several historic restorations in Newark, so we’re familiar with this type of work, but this place is unique,” he said. “You’re not going to go find six of these. There’s one of them. We’re going to make sure we do it right.”
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The upgrades coming on the inside of the Loew’s Jersey Theatre are just one part of the overall vision.
The city has condemned and will tear down a building to the left of Loew’s (if you’re looking at the front). By doing so, it will be able to transform a thin alley into an oversized art walkway, potentially featuring shops and restaurants. The building to the left of the walkway will be another huge multi-family project.
“Once we get the critical mass, we’ll be able to do so many things,” Fulop said.
That critical mass will come.
At the end of the art walkway will be a two-story tower project by KRE, appropriately named Artwalk Towers. It will feature 1,189 units and a 100,000 square foot space for Centre Pompidou x Jersey City — the first North American satellite of the famed French art museum.
Fulop said the city has been pushing for another PATH station for the area, too.
Diana Jeffrey, the executive director of the JCRA, is as excited as anyone.
“This is going to be the jewel in the crown of Journal Square,” she said. “This is going to reinvigorate this area and bring it back to its former grandeur.
“This is the trigger for every other good thing that’s happening. It’s the reason we’re getting all this other redevelopment.
“I think this is going to draw people from around the state — and the five boroughs — to Jersey City, helping us become a vibrant 24-7 destination.”
Of course, it must be noted that all of these projects will not be completed until after Fulop leaves office. Fulop long ago announced he is running to be governor in 2025, rather than seek a fourth term as mayor.
Could a change in administration mean a change of vision? Jeffrey doesn’t think so.
“I think that the benefits of this theater are plainly obvious,” she said. “And it would be my expectation that anybody who really loves the city, will really love this project.”
