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'A palace for the people': Historic, grand Loew's theater reopens in Jersey City
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Nov 14, 2026 at 7:22 a.m. ET
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Courtesy of Loews
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Nov 14, 2026 at 7:22 a.m. ET
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It’s showtime again at the Loew’s Jersey Theatre.
The historic venue opened in Jersey City nearly a century ago, just steps from what is now the Journal Square PATH train station, as one of five “Wonder Theatres” built by Loew’s in the New York City area. It had been closed for the past five years, undergoing a $130 million renovation that was decades overdue.
Now the public is finally being welcomed back inside. This weekend’s grand reopening features two sold-out concerts — from the Trey Anastasio Band on Friday and The War on Drugs on Saturday.
The reopening is being touted as a triumphant moment, a key milestone to restoring Journal Square’s place as the beating heart of Jersey City.
“ This theater is beautiful,” Mayor James Solomon said when he and other dignitaries gathered for a ribbon-cutting Monday. “We call it a palace for the people, and that's our vision for it.”
But amid the glitz and glamor inside and outside the venue, a tense uncertainty hangs in the air over what role — if any — the volunteers that kept the Loew’s alive for decades will have in its future. The group saved the building from demolition, but with a major entertainment company taking over the venue, the local residents who’ve cared for the theater for decades say they’re concerned about what the community’s role in the theater will be in the future.
The Loew's theater reopened this weekend after $130 million worth of rennovations.
Michael Sol Warren / Gothamist
Saved from the brink
The Loew’s was on the verge of being demolished in 1987. A developer wanted to use the property to build an office complex, and city hall supported the plan.
Community members rallied against the proposed demolition, forming what would become the Friends of the Loew’s to speak out at public hearings and advocate for the theater’s preservation.
“A number of concerned citizens, myself included, came together when Jersey City's official redevelopment policy called this place a dying dinosaur that needed to be torn down, and we didn't think that was right,” said Colin Egan, the director of the Friends of the Loew’s.
The city purchased the Loew’s in 1993, effectively ending the demolition threat. Egan and his group then faced a new challenge: They needed to get the theater into decent enough condition that it could host shows, so that it could be part of the community again.
"Even though it was in fairly good shape by the standards of a lot of old theaters, it had been closed at that point for six or seven years,” Egan said. “A lot of deferred maintenance in the decades before that.”
The Friends of the Loew’s turned to volunteers to do major construction inside and out of the building. They patched the roof, tore down walls that had divided the main hall, rebuilt the projection booth and dressing rooms, replaced all the seats and more.
Volunteers work toward the 2001 reopening of the Loew's theater.
Courtesy Friends of the Loew's
Robert Policastro, an artist who volunteered for the Friends group, recalled chasing pigeons out of the building’s clock tower, where a copper statue shows Saint George fighting a dragon, and the shoestring budget they had to work with.
“ We used to have a guy out here with a Brillo pad trying to get the original copper,” Policastro said.
It took the volunteers years to do, but by 2001 the Loew’s was stable enough to host events again. For the next 20 years, the group hosted a variety of programs. Big-name musicians including Sufjan Stevens, Bright Eyes, Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile graced the stage. Stephen King and George R.R. Martin came for book signings. Local arts groups were allowed into the space to put on their own shows. And classic film nights offered the chance to see a movie for just $8, with popcorn sold for $1.
The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency is the branch of city government in charge of the Loew’s. Denise Ridley, the chair of the agency’s board, is also the president of the city council. She called the reopening “momentous” at Monday’s ribbon-cutting, and said the effort should be a model for Jersey City.
“ I'm looking forward to more projects in this city where we honor the past while embracing the future,” Ridley said.
The renovated Loews is under the ownership of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils.
Michael Sol Warren / Gothamist
Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the same company that owns the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils, took over the venue’s lease in 2021. The company closed the Loew’s that year to embark on the massive renovation project.
Bruce Wheeler, the general manager of the Loew’s for Harris Blitzer, said the work was more than just restoring the look of the place. Plumbing, electric and HVAC systems were all updated through the project.
“All those things are brand new, things that the public will never see to really make this a comfortable space,” Wheeler said.
The restoration effort created 525 union jobs, according to Pat Kelleher, the president of the Hudson County Building and Construction Trades Council. Kelleher said the project was a point of pride for many workers, because it is so unique.
“ It shows what the building trades can do,” Kelleher said. “We usually build high-rises, warehouses. This is the marquee of the city.”
The work isn’t quite done. The theater's historic organ is still in the building, but it's not yet back in service. New movie screens have been ordered. And the massive chandelier that previously hung in the lobby is still undergoing its own restoration. All of those pieces are set to be done next year, Wheeler said.
The heart of the city
Thomas Zuppa, who represents Journal Square on the Jersey City Council, said he could remember seeing Casablanca in the Loew’s with his wife years ago, when they only had one restaurant in the neighborhood to choose from for dinner before the show.
The anecdote is a reminder of how drastically Journal Square has changed, with even more development on the way. Zuppa said the neighborhood is experiencing a renaissance, and he expects the renovated Loew’s will be key to anchoring a sense of community and vibrancy amid the changes.
The Jersey City Loew's first opened in 1929. It was nearly demolished in 1987, but community members rallied against the plan, and volunteers maintained the theater for decades.
Michael Sol Warren / Gothamist
“ I cannot believe that many years ago, many prior administrations ago thought that this building wasn't worth saving,” Zuppa said.
Journal Square is among the fastest growing and changing neighborhoods in Jersey City. Solomon said Journal Square can and should be the thriving heart of the city, and he said having the Loew’s at its best will be key to making that happen.
The Loew’s calendar will be highlighted with stops by acclaimed musicians and comedians. Sean Saadeh, the chief programming officer for Harris Blitzer, said the Loew’s will fill a unique role in the company’s portfolio, which also includes the Prudential Center in Newark.
Saadeh said there’s already strong interest from acts in performing at the Loew’s, and he said it gives Harris Blitzer the ability to book shows that aren’t good fits for arenas or stadiums. The Loew’s will effectively replace White Eagle Hall, another historic Jersey City venue, in the Harris Blitzer portfolio. NJBIZ reported that HBSE chose not to renew its lease on White Eagle hall earlier this year.
“It brings a unique opportunity in the area on the Jersey side, and building artists on the Jersey side I think is really important to us,” Saadeh said. “It’s vital to build artists at this level in Jersey so that they have some history here, so that when they're at the arena level it's not the first time they're in the marketplace.”
Solomon said he's hopeful that some established local legends will take the stage.
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon speaks at a ceremony marking the Loew's reopening earlier this week.
Michael Sol Warren / Gothamist
“I want Springsteen to come,” Solomon said. “Let's see if we can get The Boss in the Loew’s.”
As part of the agreement with Harris Blitzer to operate the Loew’s, the theater is committed to host community events 55 days of the year. The first of those is scheduled for Dec. 2, when Solomon said the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will perform for free at the Mayor’s Holiday Concert.
“You're going to have the best shows, the best entertainment, but we in the city also have 55 community programming days,” Solomon said. “We're going to be able to bring in people that represent the best of Jersey City Arts, that speak to the diverse communities of Jersey City and bring them into this extraordinary palace.”
What happens to the Friends?
Who gets to decide what events fill those 55 community dates has become a point of contention. As of now, there is no formal relationship between the city and the Friends of the Loew’s.
Solomon said it's important to him that the Friends of the Loew’s remain involved with the theater. He said negotiations are ongoing to formalize an agreement on what the organization’s role will be moving forward.
“They helped save the building. They have great programming,” Solomon said. “It's us working together on the details of it, which we're making progress, and I have confidence it'll be all finalized shortly.”
Volunteers working with Friends of the Loew’s did major construction and cleanup of the theater including patching its roof, rebuilding the projection booth and dressing rooms and replaced all the seats ahead of a 2001 reopening.
Courtesy of Friends of the Loew's
Those negotiations are centered on the structure of the Friends of the Loew’s board, according to Egan, and what representation the mayor and city council may have on it. Egan said he’s “guardedly” optimistic that the Friends of the Loew’s will be allowed to guide community programming in the future and he’s encouraged by Solomon’s praise for the group.
But he said he’s increasingly concerned as time goes on with no deal to bring the group back into the Loew’s operation.
“ Here, grand architecture isn't meant for the wealthy and elite, it's meant for everyone, and great performance is supposed to be available at a good price to everybody,” Egan said. “And in the Loew’s, it also has meant the people saved it, rolled up their sleeves and renovated it, and operated it for 20 years for the people as a community place.”
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Michael Sol Warren
Michael Sol Warren covers New Jersey for WNYC and Gothamist, and previously reported on issues around the Garden State for NJ Spotlight News and NJ Advance Media. He can be reached at [email protected].
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