JERSEY CITY BRIEFS - The Hudson Reporter
In a power struggle for control of the Historic Loews Theater in Jersey City, the Hudson County Freeholders voted on Thursday night to redirect grants to pay for a new park. Seven of the nine freeholders voted to take away the money with Freeholder Gerald Balmir absent and Freeholder Bill O’Dea abstaining. The freeholders voted to redirect a large portion of the original $600,000 in grants awarded to Loews from the Open Space Trust Fund. But some of the money was redirected to help the theater meet Jersey City building and health codes. The freeholders voted to honor Mayor Steven Fulop’s request to have the money used to help fund the creation of Berry Lane Park in Ward F instead. Fulop had hoped to turn over the theater to corporate management, allowing the theater to be renovated and operations conducted by a professional talent booking company. City spokesman Ryan Jacobs said the city saw no point in investing this grant money into the theater when the city plans to spend millions to upgrade the property in the future. “This money was to be used to bring the building into compliance with the city’s code on a building the city owns. Source: hudsonreporter.com
