The Golden Cicada building at 195 Grand Street has been fully torn down, with construction equipment already present at the site. Photo by Chris Fry/Jersey Digs.
A Jersey City institution has officially met the wrecking ball as the former home of Golden Cicada will soon be transformed into a two-tower development with school space and affordable housing.
Just after the new year, demolition work began at several lots surrounding 177 Grand Street, adjacent to the St. Peter’s Prep sports facility. The Z-shaped property includes Jersey City’s famed Golden Cicada property, which served their famous baijiu shots for almost four decades at 195 Grand Street.
Image courtesy of Fogarty Finger.
Local developer Silverman had been attempting to redevelop their nearby properties since at least 2017, and moved quickly to acquire the Golden Cicada in 2019 when it became available. It housed a revamped version of the Golden Cicada for a few years before a major redevelopment project was approved for the land in 2023.
Image courtesy of Fogarty Finger.
Designed by Fogerty Finger Architecture, the project attempts to bridge the height gap of the neighborhood with a three-story base along Grand Street, complemented by a setback pair of towers rising 29 and 19 floors. The residential component of the development includes a total of 397 units, comprising 27 studios, 187 one-bedrooms, 137 two-bedrooms, 15 three-bedrooms, and 31 four-bedroom units.
Sixty of those units, or about 15%, will be set aside as affordable housing for very low-, low-, and moderate-income families.
Image courtesy of Fogarty Finger.
The ground floor of the development is slated to house 11,676 square feet of commercial space split between two storefronts. A 9,000-square-foot retail spot will be located toward the western end of the development along Marin Boulevard, where the Golden Cicada once sat, while the smaller storefront will be along Sussex Street.
The street level also includes a 7,500-square-foot educational facility, set to be used as an expansion annex for the Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa, a private institution located across the street.
Image courtesy of Fogarty Finger.
Other components of the project include an interior garage with 77 spaces for cars and 219 bicycle spots. Infrastructure to alleviate stormwater surge via a storage system will be located on the second floor, and the top of the base is slated to feature indoor and outdoor amenities for future residents.
Both towers will feature true rooftop terraces, with plans for the 18-story tower including an outdoor pool. The exterior of the project is heavy on beige brick, white porcelain, and large curtain wall components.
Image courtesy of Fogarty Finger.
Despite some controversy and local opposition from community groups, the development was granted a 30-year tax abatement by the City Council last October. Silverman has not announced any official construction timeline just yet, but the project appears to be headed towards groundbreaking as a fully vacant site after almost a decade of planning.