Jersey City moves forward with $40M renovation of Loew’s Theater

Years of legal disputes stalled plans at the site

Loew’s Theater at 54 Journal Square Plaza in Jersey City and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop (Google Maps, Getty)
Loew’s Theater at 54 Journal Square Plaza in Jersey City and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop (Google Maps, Getty)

After years of litigation, Jersey City is pushing forward with plans for a $40 million renovation of the historic Loew’s Theater.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop is now on the hunt for a commercial operator to help run the venue with a non-profit organization, according to the Wall Street Journal. Friends of the Loew’s has been in charge of the theater for decades, saving it from demolition in the 1980s.

Fulop’s previous attempt to hire a commercial operator in 2013 led to litigation with the nonprofit, but the city dropped the case in 2017.

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Under the new plan, Friends of the Loew’s will be involved in the renovation plans, and oversee community programming, while the commercial operator will be charged with finding national and international acts to perform at the 3,000-seat theater.

“That’s what we’ve always wanted, I believe that’s what the mayor wants and I think that’s what this arrangement that we’ve put together will accomplish,” Colin Egan, executive director of Friends of the Loew’s, told the Journal.

The city and the commercial operator will split the costs of the renovation, which is expected to start in the fall. The city will begin seeking bids Thursday. [WSJ] — Sylvia Varnham O’Regan