Construction on Journal Square mega-project to begin by end of year, officials say

[Chris]

Construction on the $500 million Journal Square twin towers project will begin before the end of the year, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and other officials said at a news conference this morning.

Dozens of union workers stood shoulder to shoulder with city workers and politicians as the city trumpeted the demolition of the last buildings at the corner of Sip and Bergen avenues. The biggest cheers came when the mayor announced that the entire project would be built by union workers.


Healy promised 800 construction jobs for the site, with 160 going to Jersey City residents through the city's project-labort agreement.

As representatives from the Multi-Employer Property Trust (MEPT) and Lowell Harwood, the chief developers, spoke, rubble from the demolition was still being removed from the site.

Liz Opacity, a spokeswoman for the project, said the mixed-use development, which will include 1,615 rental units, 70,000 square feet of retail space and a rooftop terrace on top of a parking garage, would take three years to complete once construction started.