New Hudson County Justice Complex Gets OK From Jersey City Board

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The proposed Frank J. Guarini Justice Complex in Journal Square was unanimously approved by the Jersey City Planning Board and moving forward with its plans.

The new 400,000 square foot county courthouse complex will be located on the new Central Avenue extension in Journal Square. Standing five stories tall with a six-floor parking garage, the complex will have 24 courtrooms for civil, family, and criminal court.

The Central Avenue extension is part of the proposal that upgrades surrounding infrastructure — the extension would connect Newark Avenue and Route 139. The complex will take over the services currently housed at the Hudson County Administration Building at 595 Newark Ave., which is scheduled for demolition in the future.

The project cost is estimated at $310 million, according to county estimates and the complex could open by 2023.

The first floor will be open to the public with holding cells in the basement for those awaiting trial. The second floor will be dedicated to criminal court and the third floor dedicated to family court. The fourth floor will be reserved for court administration offices and the fifth floor for prosecutors.

The parking garage will hold 459 spaces for county employees and selected jurors. The complex will be a quarter mile from the Journal Square PATH Station.

Central Avenue isn't the only street under construction thanks to the new complex, Oakland Avenue will be widened from a one-way street to a two-way street with parking on one side and Cook Street and Hoboken Avenue between Oakland Avenue and Central Avenue will be closed.

The complex and construction would also make way for a new public park, part of the justice complex proposal. Through a partnership with Jersey City, the building at 595 Newark Avenue will be demolished and allow for the construction of a public park. After the Hudson County Administration Building offices have been relocated to the new facility, Jersey City will pay for the demolition and removal of the vacated structure, according to the proposal.

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