Jersey City’s Hudson Mall will be welcoming a trio of tenants later this year. (Photo courtesy of Jersey Digs)
From medical news to a grand reopening of an iconic landmark, we’ve got you covered in this Hudson County news roundup.
This Jersey City Hospital Needs Your Help!
Heights University Hospital, formerly known as Christ Hospital, in Jersey City needs your help to save their hospital. They will be having a public meeting regarding the closure.
The NJ Department of Health is looking for input from the community regarding the closure of Christ Hospital—and now residents have a chance to speak their mind.
“We need to inform NJDOH officials that Jersey City needs this hospital. Losing all of these hospital beds will leave Jersey City patients at risk of harm,” an Instagram post stated.
To RSVP for the meeting, located at 176 Palisades Avenue, click here.
Jersey City Honors Michael Yun With Community Services Building
Ward D Councilman Michael Yun came to the U.S. from South Korea in 1979. He and his wife, Jennifer, contributed to their community by opening the Garden State News on Central Avenue and co-founded the Central Avenue Special Improvement District (CASID).
When Yun ran for council, he did it on his own terms.
Yun’s passing in April of 2020 left a city in mourning.
But today, to honor Yun’s legacy, Jersey City opened the Michael Yun Municipal Services Center at 394 Central Avenue last week.
The new building houses the Division of Immigrant Affairs, Veterans Affairs, a senior center, a food pantry, library services and a Ward D council office.
Bayonne Hospital Is Expecting Change
About 1,000 employees from Bayonne University Hospital received formal notices about “restructuring.”
The hospital issued the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) last week to 967 employees. WARN notices typically indicate potential layoffs.
Hudson Regional Health said the notices were required as part of a transition in ownership, among other things, according to News 12.
The hospital said it does not foresee any layoffs happening in June.
Hudson Regional Health is the same company that shut down Heights Hospital in Jersey City.
Jersey City’s Loew’s Theatre Is Reopening
Loew’s Jersey Theatre, located in Jersey City’s Journal Square, is set to reopen this fall! The theatre is currently undergoing a $130 million renovation that began in 2021.
The planned transformation of the 1929 landmark was shared to Instagram and it’s going to turn into a “modern entertainment” venue. The theatre, which went unused for more than 40 years, originally opened as one of five “Wonder Theatres” in and around New York City.
One of the major changes includes the removal of fixed seating to incorporate general admission and standing-room-only events. Portable seating can still be brought in for other types of performances.
The revitalized theatre will hold about 2,600 to 4,000 guests.
The venue is now expected to host approximately 150 events annually, which includes live music, comedy, touring performances, sporting events and community events.
“It’s once again going to be the gem of Journal Square,” said Jersey City Ward C Councilperson Tom Zuppa.
Jersey City’s 16-Year-Old Emergency Call System Gets Update
Jersey City’s outdated 911 emergency call system will get a long overdue maintenance repair. Residents have complained over the years about slow response times in emergencies, and even first responders failing to show up.
The current system is 16 years old.
“The new system introduces digital audio and location-based call routing, a significant improvement over the current method, which routes 911 calls based on the nearest cell tower — sometimes sending calls to the wrong municipality,” said the city in a release.
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon also stated, “These reforms put experienced commanders back in the room, give our dispatchers the tools they deserve, and ensure that when a Jersey City resident calls 911, that call reaches us quickly, accurately, and with every resource we can bring to bear. This is about building a system our residents can trust.”
The Jersey City Communications Center currently handles about 176,000 emergency calls and almost 216,000 non-emergency calls annually. They also manage nearly 100,000 police incidents every year.
The center has eight people who take calls, six fire dispatchers, nine police dispatchers and a supervisor.
Two Victims In Jersey City Shooting
A double shooting in Jersey City on Easter Sunday left one victim in critical condition.
Just after 10:30 p.m. near Cottage Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, a bystander reported gunshots. Police found out that the shots were fired near Duffield Avenue.
It was stated that two victims were found with gunshot wounds. One is in critical condition and the other is expected to survive, according to city spokesman Nathaniel Styer.
Police are currently investigating the shooting and no further details are available.
Know any local news we should include? Email Stella Accettola at [email protected]!
