Mayor Fulop Establishes City’s first-ever Division of Affordable Housing; Critical Services become more Accessible to Residents

2^nd Jackson Square building Officials Opens – City Campus is Largest Public Investment in Decades

Jersey City – Mayor Steven M. Fulop will join Ward F Councilman Jermaine Robinson and community members this Wednesday at 2 p.m. to officially open the second of four buildings set for the Jackson Square campus located on Martin Luther King Drive.  Mayor Fulop will also unveil the city’s new Division of Affordable Housing, established to provide vital assistance for residents in need of housing.

The newest building located at 342 MLK Drive, renovated an abandoned storefront that went unused for a decade.  The transformation of the second building now opening its doors is the latest step in the Mayor’s overall goal of bringing life and investment back to Bergen-Lafayette; with city offices that will streamline critical services in one central location – ultimately making city government more efficient while creating greater accessibility for residents.

“We’ve already seen a big uptick of walk-in traffic at the first Jackson Square building by putting these public-facing services in the middle of the community,” Mayor Fulop said. “As we continue to expand our investment in the area, I believe the new Division of Affordable Housing will play a significant role– taking an oftentimes frustrating and complex process and turning it into a one-stop-shop to help everyone looking for a place to call home.”

The second building will be home to divisions from the Office of Housing Preservation and Community Development to help residents navigate tenant/landlord issues, housing code enforcement, and affordable housing issues.  The new Affordable Housing division will be tasked with covering all areas within that concept including: fair rents; maintaining lists of applicants with update notifications; maintaining affordable housing stock inventory; developing a resource guide; and becoming an easily accessible, central location for all information related to affordable housing.

“I can’t express enough how important it is for development to continue in Ward F, especially in the Martin Luther King Drive area,” said Councilman Robinson.  “This ribbon cutting for a second building in Jackson Square is monumental as it proves that we are committed to revitalizing the entire area, not just one plot of land, or just one section of the city. In addition, this building in particular will provide necessary housing resources and give a reason for residents from all over Jersey City to come visit us on ‘the hill.’”

The City Hall Annex, renamed Jackson Square, opened its first building in April 2018.  With the second building now complete, the third structure is already under construction to build a parking deck, available for public parking during nonbusiness hours, as well as city offices and a public meeting space.  The fourth and final building is slated for the new Public Safety Headquarters; centralizing public safety services and resources in Jersey City for the first time in city history.

“This represents a commitment to invest in this community, to ensure revitalization efforts are successful, and to make sure residents who helped build this city have opportunities to remain here as well,” said New Jersey Senator Sandra B. Cunningham.

The entire Jackson Square complex is a 20-year, lease-to-own contract with developer Brandywine Financial Services Corporation and represents a $120 million-dollar investment into the project over the course of the lease. When the lease is completed, Jersey City can opt to purchase the bundling complex for $1. The city will save $16 million through the lease-purchase agreement and also anticipates saving approximately $700,000 in rent per year once all of the city offices have moved into Jackson Square.