Designed by Handel Architects, a new 28-story building at 25 Cottage St. in Jersey City will bring 622 apartments, 45,000 square feet of high-end office space and ground-floor retail space to the city’s Journal Square section. — Rendering courtesy: Nasser Freres
By Joshua Burd
Development firm Nasser Freres has broken ground on a project that will add 622 apartments and commercial space to Jersey City’s resurgent Journal Square neighborhood.
The planned 28-story building, which represents an investment of more than $300 million, is now set to rise at 25 Cottage St. on a site that is steps from the Journal Square Transportation Center. That figures to be a key offering for its residents and office and retail tenants, providing quick access to PATH service as well as buses operated by NJ Transit and private carriers.
Nasser Freres executives joined Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and other officials on Friday to mark the ceremonial start of construction. Completion is slated for early 2026.
“25 Cottage Street marks our inaugural project in Jersey City, and we are thrilled to be part of the national success story unfolding here,” said Michael Sokoloff, a partner of Nasser Freres. “Mayor Fulop and his administration have shown remarkable vision in spearheading a renaissance that embraces all aspects of community life in Journal Square. We are proud to contribute to the neighborhood’s resurgence as a vibrant center for living, working and playing in Jersey City.”
Handel Architects and AJD Construction are the project’s design team and general contractor, respectively, while The Marketing Directors is its leasing and marketing agent. Plans call for a mix of apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units, with amenities highlighted by a landscaped rooftop designed by Melillo Bauer Carman with a pool, a lounge area and views of the surrounding area.
The project is also slated to include nearly 45,000 square feet of high-end office space and ground-floor retail, Nasser Freres said. And its location on Cottage Street between Summit Avenue and JFK Boulevard East places it in the heart of Journal Square, the onetime commercial hub of Hudson County that’s been reinvigorated by billions of dollars of new development.
“There’s a lot of activity here, and in a short two or three years from now, this will once again be the epicenter of Jersey City, like it was 50 years ago,” Fulop said. “We are very, very proud of what has happened here. If you drive anywhere on the Turnpike extension or through downtown, you can visibly see the change from what didn’t exist 10 or 11 years ago, with an entirely new skyline in this part of Jersey City.”
Other resident amenities will include a spa with a steam room, sauna and salt room as well as an art gallery and studio, a children’s playroom, a karaoke room, a pet spa and a bowling alley, among others, according to a news release. Additional plans call for flexible coworking space with a lounge, private work pods and conference rooms, as well as a modern fitness center, a terrace gallery lounge and a podcast and TikTok room.
