Mystery of Boarded up Grove Street Retail Spaces Solved

Downtown residents wondering what will become of the retail spaces along Grove Street formerly occupied by Subway, GNC, NJ.com and Remax, now have an answer. According to a spokesperson for the owner, Columbia Property Trust, the storefronts are being built out “in order to be repositioned to attract new tenants to serve this area.”

To spruce up the construction site, Columbia collaborated with local artists and students from the Jersey City Global Charter School to complete a series of murals at 95 Columbus.  The artwork, which spells out “Love Yourself Jersey City,” is, according to Columbia, designed to bring additional color and life to the neighborhood.

Rendering of Retail Spaces at Grove Street and Christopher Columbus

Columbia has been redeveloping 95 Christopher Columbus Drive, which includes the 680,000-square-foot office building and the adjoining parking lot and retail spaces. The renovation of 95 Columbus is both aesthetic and systemic, including everything from 35-foot-high ceilings “for a dramatic arrival experience” to “greenery and other biophilic elements” and a high-grade air filtration system. The full renovation is expected to be completed this fall.

Locals hoping for a Shake Shack or a Sephora may want to put in a request with Columbia now.