Groundbreaking for Journal Square Campus tower that will house a gymnasium, theater, classrooms, conference rooms, offices, and much more.

Tuesday, June 18, 2024, Jersey City – A groundbreaking ceremony was held today for the Hudson County Community College Center for Student Success at 2 Enos Place in Jersey City, New Jersey. HCCC President Christopher Reber, along with Trustees Pamela Gardner and Jeanette Pena, welcomed Congressman Rob Menendez, Jr., Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, and other elected officials. Additionally, representatives of the Hudson County Building and Construction Trades Council were present, as well as Hudson County Community College students, cabinet members, faculty, and staff.

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) pioneered the urban campus concept by integrating learning environments, cultural spaces, public areas, and workplaces within Jersey City’s Journal Square, the heart of Hudson County, New Jersey. In establishing the Journal Square Campus, the College became an essential part of the neighborhood that engages and serves the County’s residents and businesses where they live, and has been the catalyst for the area’s development.

“The Center for Student Success was designed to centralize and consolidate all of our student services in one convenient location and complement the architecture of the surrounding area. It is the final segment of the Hudson County Community College Facilities Master Plan,” Dr. Reber stated. “The County of Hudson has partnered with us through every step of our development so that we may provide our neighbors with the very best academic experiences possible. We are thankful for the ongoing support of County Executive Craig Guy, former County Executive Thomas DeGise, and the Hudson County Board of Commissioners.”

“This project will serve thousands of students here at Hudson County Community College. The HCCC Center for Student Success will be the epicenter of study, creativity, activity, and collaboration between students and the surrounding communities,” said Hudson County Executive Craig Guy. “Through this new Center for Student Success, HCCC and the County continue to work together to ensure everyone has equal opportunities to excel in their chosen field and drive economic development in the area.”

The eleven-story Center for Student Success, a 153,186 square-foot, mixed-use tower, is being constructed one block from the Journal Square PATH station on an existing HCCC-owned parking lot. It will replace several of the College’s small, segregated, and aging buildings. The tower plans include 24 classrooms; expanded student services areas; student common spaces; full-size National College Athletics Association (NCAA) gymnasium; fitness center; black-box theater; health sciences laboratories; 85 offices; eight conference rooms; a “University Center” for sister colleges and partners to offer baccalaureate instruction; and much more.

The HCCC Center for Student Success construction utilizes the newest and environmentally sustainable materials and systems. A Project Labor Agreement assures that organized labor will be well represented on site during construction. The grand opening is scheduled for Fall 2026.

Funding for the $96.3 million tower is supplied by proceeds from the sale of HCCC properties and the College’s reserve funds; the County of Hudson; and New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), among others.