Jersey City’s Exchange Place could soon feature a pedestrian plaza between Hudson Street and the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.
The City Council will introduce an ordinance Wednesday to close off the eastern end of Montgomery Street from Hudson Street to the waterfront. It will also close off a small portion of Christopher Columbus Drive at Hudson Street, only allowing for vehicles to enter the Hyatt Hotel.
Ward E Councilman James Solomon said the ordinance will turn the streets into a pedestrian plaza. He said the new open space would allow business to potentially use the plaza to establish out sidewalk cafés, which have become a lifeline to restaurants and eateries during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think it is the first step towards potential capital improvements on the plaza that would create a little more green space and some child play areas and some other things on the waterfront,” Solomon said. “Right now, if this ordinance passes the real thing is, you’re closing it off to vehicular traffic and you’re creating more spaces for pedestrians.”
The City wants to turn this area at the foot of Montgomery Street in Exchange Place into a pedestrian mall.Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal
Exchange Place, a business hub home to a number of financial companies, also has a number of eateries, including Starbucks, Gregory’s Coffee, Bistro Exchange Place, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Dunkin’ Donuts, Subway, and others.
Elizabeth Cain, the executive director of Exchange Place’s special improvement district, told the City Council Monday during caucus that the area between Hudson Street and waterfront walkway is already used as a de-facto pedestrian mall, as there isn’t much vehicular traffic. She said the area does have a lot of illegal parking issues, though.
A pilot for the pedestrian mall at Exchange Place was put into action during the spring and summer of 2018 as part of a larger study on traffic and pedestrian patterns for Exchange Place, Business Administrator Brian Platt said in a letter to the council.
“We did look at this area to expand the PATH plaza and extend it to a larger pedestrian area,” Cain said. “Really for the safety of the pedestrians and to create more open space for that area along the waterfront”
In 2014, the Newark Avenue pedestrian plaza opened, becoming Jersey City’ first pedestrian mall.
The project is funded by Exchange Place Alliance Special Improvement District, City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said.
Wallace-Scalcione said the city has encouraged the expansion of pedestrian plazas citywide “as we’ve seen it an effective tool for additional outdoor space for residents and allows restaurants to increase capacity.”
“This ordinance to create the Exchange Place plaza has been a community-driven effort and is a great way to improve pedestrian spaces and economic opportunities,” she said.
Cain said Tuesday that adding green space to Exchange Place is part of the long-term plan, but did not go further.
However, Solomon said there still needs to be more public input prior to any capital improvement changes to the plaza. He said he believes the council will no longer vote on the project after the legislation passes, so they need to be comfortable with what is going to happen.
“It is unclear what additional public meetings are intended to occur,” Solomon added. “I want to make sure there is a clear commitment to a public process prior to the creation of the plaza.
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