Crescent Court

Bricks begin to scale the concrete garage, while sheathing and windows begin to go into place on the walls above.
From 2nd Street

Rebuilding the Modern Urban City

Many major metropolises around the world have had to be revamped in recent years because of the dilapidation of old buildings and the need for new buildings.  Cities like Chicago, New York, and Houston all feature buildings that are no longer useful and need to be demolished if the city wants to continue with its own urban expansion.  However, this is no easy task, and the demolition and subsequent rebuilding of structures is a process that can take years to complete, thereby shutting down roads and intersections in the construction process. 

Centuries-old cities like Rome have been reconstructed a number of times in order to fit with the times of Sixtus V to John Paul II.  While many European cities are laid out much differently than American cities, they have also stood the test of time and have witnessed the Renaissance, Counter-Reformation, and Industrial Revolution.  Cities in the United States were typically made much later in time, and were adequately laid out in order to provide the most spacious grid for future expansion.  However, they too have buildings which appear to be ancient and out of place amidst the rising modern skyscrapers.  It thereby becomes important to question whether this will be an ongoing cycle of construction in which buildings are torn down every few decades to cater to the newest construction marvel.  Cities like Dubai are still reveling in their “newness” and their ability to map out their city as seems fit in a modern society, while other cities are pretty much confined to the barriers that were laid out years ago. 

There are still many cities around the world that remain stuck in the early twentieth century     construction of the Ford industry.  Rebuilding this type of city means to revamp an entire era that spans from World War II to the end of the Cold War, as well as learning how to globalize such cities.  These older building that are prominent in such European cities bring to mind images of the Cold War era, especially in Eastern Europe, in which many countries did not have the necessary funds or political power to institute an urban change of that magnitude, and simply let their buildings crumble before them.  While the United States boasts itself as being one of the leading real estate giants, it still allows many older buildings to exist in major cities, thereby throwing off the aesthetics of the area.   Rebuilding such a city requires a lot of manpower and diligence to ensure that the project gets done in a timely fashion.  Without this level of dedication, the city will remain in shambles amidst parts of its central location, and will become a haven for a different class of characters.  No city can completely redo itself, and move away from the grid-like structure which was created for it, but many can revamp their building standards and create a new architectural eye sore within the skyline. 

This post was contributed by Sarah Russel, who writes about the best online schools. She welcomes your feedback at SarahRussel1234 at gmail.com

Submissions about the city or construction topics are welcome at jerseycityconstruction at yahoo.com. Put "Local Insight" in the subject heading. 

Oh My God, its actually happening!

It seems that few things have been as anxiously anticipated by the patrons of Jersey City than the long awaited opening of Atomic Wings on Newark Ave. For some reason, there are threads devoted to this opening with literally thousands of posts. Well, it seems as though the wait is nearing an end. The store is ready to hire and is all set up inside, so it seems that the fiery wings are one step closer to be devoured by its visitors. You people better keep this place in business after all that.

New Happenings

This building on the corner of Vroom and Summit is now complete with its brickwork and storefront ready for use.
311-315 MLK Boulevard is a mixed use building with ground floor retail, 10 residential units and 4th floor office space.
167-169 Monticello Ave. This project involves the construction of 7 affordable condominiums and 2,000 square feet of commercial space.

Loews Theater

This is good news for improving the historic theater.$5,000 isnt much but every $5000 helps.

Grant to restore Loew's balcony

Monday, July 06, 2009

The Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City is taking another step toward returning to its former glory, thanks to a grant from The Provident Bank Foundation.

A $5,000 gift from the foundation will allow the balcony at the 3,000-seat venue in Journal Square to be restored. The historic theater is only one of five "Wonder Theatres" built by movie baron Marcus Lewis outside New York City.

The theater closed in 1986 after years of declining attendance. But a crusade spearheaded by the non-profit Friends of the Loew's led the Jersey City council to purchase the venue and limited programming began again in 2001.

Friends of the Loew's has now set its sights on further renovations of the cavernous domed rococo-style auditorium, where only half the original capacity is being used for films and live musical and dramatic shows.

"Our plan was bring the theater to a minimally functional level so people could start enjoying the arts, and that's what we did," said Friends of the Loew's President Pattie Giordan.

"But we've got two levels of balcony where the seat frames have not been maintained for 40 years, and we need emergency lights, the fire escapes overhauled, exit doors replaced. This grant is greatly appreciated."

Kendall Warsaw, the executive director of the Provident Foundation, said her organization was honored to contribute to the ongoing renovation. "The process of restoring the Loew's Theatre to its original splendor is a labor of love that we're thrilled to be a part of," Warsaw said.

JOURNAL STAFF

Aqua

This thing looks pretty done to me.At least towers exterior surface is. Inside and the adjacent midrise buildings may be another story.
The new part of the Hudson Waterfront walkway in front of the building.

278 Newark

Another 5 story residential building rises just a few blocks from 213 Newark. Its just a little behind in terms of exterior work, but the framing and insulation have gone up and it just awaits windows.