Liberty Science Center and Jersey City Present Ambitious Plan for a Technology Campus

The broad outlines of a plan to develop land adjacent to the Liberty Science Center into a science-and-technology campus that will attract industry and jobs have been laid out by Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop and Liberty Science Center President and CEO Paul Hoffman.

• The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency appointed the Liberty Science Center as the master developer of 16 acres of city-owned land next to the Center.
• The land is valued at over $20 million.
• The project, called “SciTech Scity,” will include a technology business incubator, a biotech lab, a light manufacturing space, a coding lab, a grade school with a STEM focus as well as a science-themed hotel and residences for visiting scientists.
• The project will require $80 million in capital, and Jersey City will be participating in the fundraising.
• The Liberty Science Center, which is seeking corporate partners, will finalize the concept.
• Jersey City sees the project as both a job creator and as a way to attract scientists and entrepreneurs from around the world to pioneer new technologies and create new businesses.
• The campus research center, to be known as “Edge Works,” will be a 100,000-square-foot hybrid technology-based makerspace combining private studios and coworking spaces with high-tech workshops for emerging businesses and startups.
• The Center expects Edge Works to become an educational hub where students and members of the community can learn about technology and acquire new skills, such as writing code.
• The overall project will probably create as many as 2,500 construction jobs during the development stage and 594 permanent jobs, which the city government believes will go primarily to Jersey City residents.