Mayor James Solomon said: “I am committed to taking on the affordability crisis in Jersey City, and today’s announcement is another step towards that goal. The Maureen Collier Senior Center has been a second home for seniors in this neighborhood for decades, and they deserve a building that matches everything they have given to this city. Our vision is a modern center with real investment behind it and affordable homes so seniors can keep living in the community. Jersey City owns this land, and we should use it for the people who need it most.”

Ward B Councilman Joel Brooks said: “Jersey City desperately needs new affordable senior housing units. Our seniors face years’ long wait lists for existing housing. Many are on fixed incomes and when they face the rental market today, are being priced out of staying here. I look forward to this project coming before the council.”

Ward F Councilman Frank “Educational” Gilmore said: “This project checks the box of caring for our most underserved residents. The first box is that we get a new senior center for our most underserved population, but perhaps the biggest win is that this project will yield 100% affordable units for many residents who have felt pushed out. I’m thankful for the Solomon Administration for their steadfast commitment to this project.”

On October 7th, the City Council will vote on reopening the Green Villa Redevelopment Plan, which has governed the site since 1984. That vote would open a formal process in which the City works with the seniors who use the center, surrounding residents, and the Division of City Planning to discuss renovations to the Collier Center and the design of the senior affordable homes. 

The Maureen Collier Senior Center, operated by the City’s Division of Senior Affairs, serves Jersey City residents 60 and older with daily lunch, fitness and wellness classes, and educational and cultural programming. The center remains open, and its programs continue as normal while this process moves forward.

• In June, the Mayor launched Building for Working Families, a housing agenda that requires new development to deliver the maximum number of affordable homes each project can support, along with union labor and community benefits. 
• The Administration has also launched the first audit of the City’s tax abatements to hold developers to the affordability commitments they made.
• The first citywide rent control audit, which has identified more than 20,000 units that should be protected under the City’s rent control ordinance.

The Process

• October 7: The City Council votes on reopening the Green Villa Redevelopment Plan. This vote does not amend the plan or approve any project.
• Community engagement: City Planning will gather input from seniors who use the center, nearby residents, and neighborhood organizations on what the site should include, from the design of the renovated center to the housing built alongside it. 
• Planning review: That input will guide the Division of City Planning and the Planning Board as they evaluate zoning changes for the site that fit the community’s needs, with a focus on seniors.
• Council action: Any amendment to the redevelopment plan would come back to the City Council for a public hearing and a vote.

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