Honorable Frank J. Guarini Justice Complex
Update
09/28/23
Facade Work Progresses for NJ Courthouse
General contractor, , is currently well into the facade installation process for a large courthouse and government facility, going up in Jersey City's Journal Square neighborhood.
Set to replace the current Hudson County Administration Building, which sits across the street at 595 Newark Avenue, the 5-story fortress will be known as "The Honorable Frank J. Guarini Justice Complex".
Developed by , the state-of-the-art, 405,000 square foot justice complex is set to contain 24 courtrooms; a number which includes at least 10 criminal courtrooms and 12 family courtrooms.
It will also have dedicated space for the judge's chambers, sheriff operations and court administration offices, the surrogate, and the prosecutor’s office.
Supplementing the courthouse, the building will have a 75-seat, public cafeteria, a self-help law library, a children’s play area, and training spaces for staff. To handle a high demand for parking, the structure is attached to a large, 6-story parking garage, which can hold up to vehicles.
Designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, with Netta Architects listed as the architect of record, the complex stands feet tall, and totals square feet (taking the parking garage into account).
The new complex will provide significantly more protection than the old building, which was built in 1957 and originally designed for office use, but was renovated to include courtrooms and legal facilities. The purpose-built structure has been extensively engineered in close collaboration with blast design consultants and protective engineering specialists.
As a security countermeasure, the building's top two floors and roof are suspended by 700-foot-long, steel trusses, which are supported by the large concrete columns, visible on the outside of the structure. In the event of an attack or a bomb detonation on the lower floors, this design will prevent the upper floors from collapsing onto those below. For further protection, several areas of the structure have also been heavily reinforced, such as the concrete foundation, which employs 6-foot deep, mat slabs.
The entire project is expected to cost around $317 million, and construction first kicked off back in December of 2020. Work is now about 75% complete, and interior finishing is ongoing. The complex is ultimately expected to be completed by late 2024.
