Jersey City, NJ — Terrence T. McDonald reports in The Star-Ledger/NJ.com that a plan to build a $276 million science and technology complex near Liberty Science Center cleared another major hurdle at the City Council’s March 22 meeting when the council voted to transfer 12 acres of city-owned land intended for the complex.
The 6-3 vote came after 11 p.m. at the end of a four-hour public hearing in front of a crowd that initially numbered about 150.
The action transfers the city land to the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, which intends to sell the property to SciTech Scity, a new arm of Liberty Science Center, for $10.
Council members who voted in favor of transferring the land were Watterman, Rolando Lavarro, Daniel Rivera, Frank Gajewski, Candice Osborne and Jermaine Robinson. Councilmen Chris Gadsden, Rich Boggiano and Michael Yun voted no.
The 6-3 vote came after 11 p.m. at the end of a four-hour public hearing in front of a crowd that initially numbered about 150.
The action transfers the city land to the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, which intends to sell the property to SciTech Scity, a new arm of Liberty Science Center, for $10.
Council members who voted in favor of transferring the land were Watterman, Rolando Lavarro, Daniel Rivera, Frank Gajewski, Candice Osborne and Jermaine Robinson. Councilmen Chris Gadsden, Rich Boggiano and Michael Yun voted no.
City officials have argued that SciTech Scity would be a boon to the neighborhoods to the project's west, areas of the city that have long struggled with crime and poverty. Robinson, who represents Ward F, where SciTech Scity would be located, echoed that argument last night.
SciTech Scity would be a massive science workshop and office building that would include a K-12 school focused on science, technology, engineering and math and a 50,000-square-foot residential facility with dorm-style rooms, a hotel and apartments.
It would be located on Phillip Street, adjacent to Liberty Science Center.
LSC CEO Paul Hoffman, in his comments to the council, dismissed complaints about Liberty Science Center's finances, saying the museum has been "in the black" since he took over in 2011.
Tax documents that show LSC operating with a deficit are misleading, he said, because they include the value of depreciation on the building itself and do not include donations for capital projects like its planetarium.
Hoffman said SciTech Scity would allow more Jersey City students to receive a specialized STEM education; include a 24-hour coding academy for anyone who wants to learn programming skills; provide space for start-up companies to create products and technology; and more.
For McDonald’s full story, click here.
SciTech Scity would be a massive science workshop and office building that would include a K-12 school focused on science, technology, engineering and math and a 50,000-square-foot residential facility with dorm-style rooms, a hotel and apartments.
It would be located on Phillip Street, adjacent to Liberty Science Center.
LSC CEO Paul Hoffman, in his comments to the council, dismissed complaints about Liberty Science Center's finances, saying the museum has been "in the black" since he took over in 2011.
Tax documents that show LSC operating with a deficit are misleading, he said, because they include the value of depreciation on the building itself and do not include donations for capital projects like its planetarium.
Hoffman said SciTech Scity would allow more Jersey City students to receive a specialized STEM education; include a 24-hour coding academy for anyone who wants to learn programming skills; provide space for start-up companies to create products and technology; and more.
For McDonald’s full story, click here.
