New Jersey Symphony gets a permanent home in Jersey City
Renderings courtesy of the New Jersey Symphony
The New Jersey Symphony will soon have its first-ever permanent home at a new cutting-edge theater in downtown Jersey City. Mayor Steven Fulop and the New Jersey Symphony on Wednesday announced the Symphony will relocate to a 44,000-square-foot performance space on the corner of Provost and Morgan Streets in the Powerhouse Arts District in spring 2026. The 550-seat theater, dubbed Symphony Center, will also offer educational and community programs and include 8,000 square feet of office space.
Symphony Center will be a versatile, multipurpose venue featuring flexible seating and stage arrangements, allowing for a wide range of layouts and configurations. This innovative design will allow the Symphony to expand its collaborations with other New Jersey arts organizations and host a broader variety of cultural events.
The new venue will hopefully increase revenue for the Symphony, which is still recovering from the economic impact of the pandemic. In 2023, the orchestra was forced to cut down on its programming and reduce its administrative staff by roughly 15 percent, according to the New York Times.
In order to stay afloat, the orchestra has taken from its own endowment, with the fund now valued at approximately $3 million, down from about $9 million in 2019.
However, attendance at concerts has reached 72 percent his season, compared to 59 percent before the pandemic. The Symphony also raised roughly $11 million in funding last year, compared to about $8 million in 2019.
The center will increase its programming over a five-year period, starting with roughly 20 to 30 performances in the 2026-27 season and increasing to about 150 to 200 performances in the 2030-31 season, according to the Times.
“This represents a significant milestone in Jersey City’s cultural evolution, creating a key destination for our region with permanent space for world-class performances and community-driven initiatives,” Fulop said.
“We started these conversations over a year ago, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the New Jersey Symphony to their new home in Jersey City. This new endeavor will enhance our economic and cultural landscape and, more importantly, offer unparalleled opportunities to our residents and community.”
The center will be located on the ground floor of 151 Bay, the third phase of developer Toll Brothers’ Provost Square redevelopment, according to Jersey Digs. The project has transformed the site of a former Manischewitz matzo factory and The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company’s Annex property into a mixed-use development with luxury housing.
Recently constructed for $40 million, the space is owned by Jersey City, which will permit the symphony to use the theater under an initial 30-year lease agreement. The Symphony aims to raise an extra $12 million to furnish the space and enhance its acoustics, according to the Times.
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