Updated 10:55 a.m. 8.6.23
A man was reportedly found dead this morning on a Downtown street recently closed by the city.
According to a witness who arrived as the police were securing the area with yellow tape at approximately 9 a.m., the dead man’s feet could be seen protruding from an alcove of a building on Barrow Street that houses Jersey City Theater Center and Barcade.
Spokespeople for the city and the Hudson County Prosecutor did not respond to a request for comment.
Businesses and residents have complained that the street has become a haven for the homeless. According to one person, who asked to remain anonymous, the homeless often congregate near the building and use the sidewalk as an open air latrine.
Some local business owners and residents have charged that the city has not adequately enforced its ordinances and has failed to provide sufficient policing in and around the Pedestrian Plaza, which Barrow Street crosses.
In June, Mayor Fulop ordered Barrow Street between Christopher Columbus Drive and Newark Avenue closed for a two month “pilot.” Business owners protested the move, saying that the closure impeded access for customers, deliveries and repairmen. In July, the Harsimus Cove Association voted to support the closure.
Ward E Councilman James Solomon, who supported the closure, and City Council President Joyce Watterman recently met with business owners. So far, no resolution has been reported.
Please note: Due to a grammatical error, a previous version of this article implied that City Council President Joyce Watterman supported the closure. In an email to JCT, Watterman said “I was not asked about the closure, the Mayor did an executive order.”
Photo courtesy of Google Street View