O’Dea & Zuppa Call on Hudson County Not to Delay Courthouse Park

County is Threatening Three Year Delay to Highly Anticipated Open Space Project 

County Commissioner and Mayoral candidate Bill O’Dea is joining with Ward C Council candidate Tom Zuppa and local residents to call on Hudson County government not to delay construction of the highly anticipated Courthouse Park project. Local park advocates were recently alerted to a potential three year delay in the creation of the park, and now O’Dea and Zuppa are joining with them to rally public support for keeping the park on schedule and delivering the open space that the rapidly developing Journal Square neighborhood desperately needs. 

O’Dea and Zuppa are urging residents to attend a Community Meeting on Tuesday June 3rd, 7pm at St. Joseph’s Church (basement), 511 Pavonia Avenue, to show support for Courthouse Park. 

“As a County Commissioner and a longtime advocate for open space, I was dismayed to hear that county government is considering delaying this critical project that will significantly enhance quality of life for residents of Journal Square,” said Commissioner O’Dea. “A deal is a deal, and the county needs to do everything in its power to stick with the original timeline and not deny the people the park they were promised due to planning issues. We should be finding a way to accommodate the necessary county personnel at the Brennan Courthouse or at other county facilities rather than delaying this park from being built.” 

Courthouse Park is planned to be built on the site of the current Hudson County Administration Building at 595 Newark Avenue, which is scheduled to be demolished and replaced by the new  Honorable Frank Guarini Justice Complex, which is opening soon across the street. The park was first announced in 2019 and was originally planned to begin construction in 2023, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Park advocates feel strongly that further delays would create an unnecessary and unacceptable reduction in quality of life for residents of the area. 

“Journal Square has seen an unprecedented level of development and in our fight for affordability and to improve quality of life so residents can afford and want to stay in this community, Courthouse Park presents an opportunity to create the open space that our residents need and deserve,” said Zuppa, who previously served as President of the Journal Square Community Association and has been a longtime supporter of the park. “It would be unacceptable to put the park as currently planned in jeopardy by delaying it for another three years so we need to prioritize the needs of the community and get this project going now.”

“The people of Journal Square were promised this park in 2019 by Jersey City and Hudson County, and we have been incredibly patient during the construction process of the Guarini Courthouse, putting up with numerous delays and an upheaval in our quality of life,” said longtime local resident and park advocate Laura Moss. “Waiting another three years to begin building Courthouse Park is not acceptable to the dedicated advocates who have put their time and energy into fighting for this park, as well as to all Jersey City residents who need more open space. Delaying the project also imperils the funding and will drive up costs. I’m thankful to Bill O’Dea and Tom Zuppa for highlighting this important fight for the future of our neighborhood, and I encourage anyone who believes in open space to come out to the Community Meeting on Tuesday and make your voices heard.”