McGinley Square facts for kids
McGinley Square is a well-known area in Jersey City, New Jersey. It's located right in the middle of the city, just south of another important spot called Journal Square. This square is where two main roads meet: Montgomery Street and Bergen Avenue. Montgomery Street goes from Downtown Jersey City all the way to the West Side. Bergen Avenue connects Greenville to Journal Square.
What is McGinley Square?
McGinley Square was named after Monsignor Roger McGinley. He was the person who helped build the beautiful St. Aedan's Church, which is a big part of the area.
Many important places are very close to McGinley Square. These include Hudson Catholic Regional High School, the Jersey City Armory (a large building used for military training and events), and the Jersey City YMCA (a community center). You can also find St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church and Bergen Square nearby.
A huge old building called the Jersey City Medical Center is also close by. It's a very old building with a special design style called Art Deco. This building is now being turned into homes and is known as The Beacon.
Future Plans for McGinley Square
There are exciting plans to develop the area around McGinley Square. Saint Peter's University, which owns a lot of land there, wants to work with a developer to build a new entertainment center. This center would be built on land currently used for parking.
The plans suggest a building with three levels of shops and fun places, like a movie theater. It would also have a large parking garage for about 300 cars. Another idea is for an even bigger building. This one would have three levels of shops and parking for 600 cars, with half of those spots for the university.
Above the shops, there could be three tall buildings, each 11 stories high. One building might be for student dorms, another for homes at a reasonable price, and the third for apartments or condos that people can rent or buy. There were some discussions about how the land would be used, but the plans have now been approved. Construction was expected to start in 2012, but as of 2018, it had not yet begun.
Community Groups in the Area
Several groups work hard to improve the McGinley Square area.
- Bergen Communities United is a non-profit group that helps plan for the community in McGinley Square and the neighborhoods nearby.
- The McGinley Square Partnership is a special group of local business owners. They use money from their businesses and special state funds to make improvements to the shopping area.
- The Highland Avenue Block Association works to support the interests of the people who live in the area.
