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The team from HWKN today joined Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, owners The KRE Group and National Real Estate Advisors and other local dignitaries to celebrate the groundbreaking of Journal Squared, HWKN and Handel Architects’ highly-anticipated three-tower, mixed-use development adjacent to the Journal Square PATH Station that is expected to fuel the revitalization of the massive transportation hub and serve as the centerpiece of a resurgent urban neighborhood.

"Today was another exciting step toward Journal Squared becoming a vital piece of the community and to see it so well supported at the Groundbreaking was a wonderful site for our team." said Matthias Hollwich, partner of HWKN.

Rising at the intersection of Pavonia and Summit Avenues, the new development will comprise 1,838 rental residences and 36,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space in 53-, 60- and 70-story towers – the latter of which will be the tallest residential building in New Jersey. The transformative project will also include a pedestrian-friendly public plaza. The collective elements of Journal Squared will re-energize the City’s largest transportation center and benefit current and future residents, business owners, area employees and commuters.

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HWKN’s design concept for Journal Squared harnesses the idea of breaking down a traditional tower and podium building into a more aesthetically pleasing response which would be better integrated in to its urban environment at varying scales.

“We designed a building that works equally well at the scale of the Turnpike, where hundreds of thousands of people will see it every day, and at the scale of those who walk and live in the city,” said Marc Kushner, AIA, partner at HWKN.

Mayor StevenFulop who led the ceremonies at the site said, “This is an exciting day because this is really a game-changer for Jersey City in so many ways. This project is going to change Jersey City, and it’s certainly going to change Journal Square. When all three towers are complete, it will literally transform and recreate the entire Jersey City skyline. That is no small accomplishment and nothing short of something that the entire City should be proud of.”

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Phase I of Journal Squared will feature 538 studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom rental residences with upscale finishes and appointments, and stunning views of the Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and downtown Manhattan. The first phase will also feature more than 10,000 square feet of amenities in the building including an outdoor swimming pool, full-service fitness center, golf simulator and children’s playroom as well as a one-of-a-kind, 2,000 square-foot entertaining space. Phase One is scheduled for completion by the end of 2016.

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Journal Squared, designed by Hollwich Kushner (HWKN) and Handel Architects, marks a profound renaissance for the Journal Square area of Jersey City. The project follows a long history of innovative transit-based urban renewal projects by the KRE Group, whose prior developments include Grove Point, 225 Grand Street and 18 Park, also in Jersey City. 

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The 2.3 million square foot project touches the ground lightly as its mass morphs into smaller units to relate to the lower density neighborhood around it. This base hosts active program like retail, restaurants, lobbies and parking. Three residential point towers rise above the base and include 1,840 units. The tallest tower, at 70 stories, is expected to be the highest residential building in New Jersey. The first of three phases, topping out at 54 stories, broke ground in January 2014, and is expected to be complete in mid-2016.

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Project Facts

Location:Journal Square, NJ

Client:Kushner Real Estate Group and National Real Estate Advisors, a division of NEBF 

Size:2.3 million sq ft in 3 phases

Status:Under Construction

Architects:HWKN and Handel Architects

Team:Matthias Hollwich, Marc Kushner, Brad Engelsman, Yuval Borochov, Jessica Knobloch, Tim Aarsen, Adam Hostetler, Robert May, Matthew Hoffman, Alex Tseng, Dongil Kim, Gregory Nakata, Jamie Abrego, Agnieszka Wojciechowicz, Jessica Wetters, Virginia Melnyk, Juh Yun Kim, Benjamin Loiseau, Ana Ferrel, Ad

> via hwkn.com