A Jersey City preservation group has stirred up a frenzy of criticism over the handling of the city’s ongoing restoration of the Loew’s Theater. Chris Perez, president of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, posted pictures of the historic theater’s iconic marquee being “jaggedly torn down,” arguing that it should have been preserved.
“We understand that a replica of the original marquee design will be put in its place,” the social media post reads. “But the blatant destruction of the current marquee, what has historically been the face of the Loew’s and Journal Square for 75 years, was not necessary.”
The destruction, preservationists say, includes the red neon letters that read “Loew’s Jersey.”
“The signs should have been removed with care. Instead we are left with fragments of about half of one sign,” Perez told Jersey Digs. “This all could have been prevented if there was improved engagement and collaboration with the community and organizations who know the Loew’s well.”
However, Diana Jeffries, executive director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, which is managing the restoration, said that there has been some “miscommunication” surrounding the treatment of the marquee, and nothing was removed without consulting experts first.
“I know that people are upset that the marquee had to come down this way, but being upset about this doesn’t mean we did something wrong,” she said.
The marquee, she said, was being held up by rebar that was embedded in the lobby’s terra-cotta roof. In order to spare the roof, the best method was to take the marquee down in sections, rather than intact.
“We followed the recommendation of the specialist and the historic preservationists and took it down in pieces – and that’s what provoked the reaction from the public,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries also claims that the marquee wasn’t an original detail of architects Rapp and Rapp’s design for the 1929 performance hall – it was a later addition from the 1970s. This detail is important because the theater is a National Register-listed landmark and the state Historic Preservation Office, which has oversight of such landmarks, only requires elements from the “period of significance” to be preserved.
However, vintage photos from the 1950s show that the marquee was likely installed much earlier in the theater’s history, and perhaps did in fact fall within the period of significance. When asked to confirm the date of the marquee, Colin Egan, executive director of the Friends of Loew’s, said it was installed around 1950.
The greater concern that Perez and others have had about this restoration is, despite the use of state and federal funds, over transparency. “The local community has a wealth of knowledge that is underutilized on the Loew’s project,” Perez told Jersey Digs. “Friends of Loew’s is bound by a nondisclosure agreement which we think is doing more harm than good.”
Jeffries claims all protocol was followed and that the state Historic Preservation Office, which monitors alterations to National Register-listed landmarks, has had oversight over the restoration, even though these communications were done administratively instead of appearing in a public meeting with SHPO’s Historic Sites Council.
The city first presented its plans publicly to restore the nearly century-old performance hall in 2021, when architect Gary Martinez revealed renderings to the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. It was merely a courtesy review as the Loew’s Theater is still not a designated local landmark.
“The HPC would have no jurisdiction over a non-historic element of the theater, if they have any jurisdiction at all,” Jeffries said.
The commissioners at that initial HPC meeting criticized the plan’s lack of details. The omission of clear instructions included not only what elements would be replaced rather than restored but also how some of the salvaged artifacts would be archived.
The designated redeveloper’s hired attorney, Frank Regan, said he didn’t have a problem with returning to the HPC with “periodic updates.” The city has since returned to the HPC to review other aspects of the restoration that have arisen, but the demolition of the marquee was never discussed again.
Commissioner Paul Amatuzzo noted that the presentation didn’t mention how the artifacts would be handled during the demolition process. In one instance, the wording in the document’s demolition notes said that “all non-historic” light fixtures were to be discarded. But it didn’t say who would be making the decisions about whether something is “historic.”
“What I see in the notes doesn’t necessarily depict preservation of artifacts,” he said.
JCRA confirmed that it has kept a catalogue of artifacts salvaged during the restoration process. The agency will soon hire an appraiser to assess their historical value and decide which should be archived.
“It wasn’t thrown away,” said Jeffries about what remains of the marquee. “The Friends of Loews are welcome to take it if they want it.”
One other issue discussed at the HPC meeting in 2021 is whether the city would consider designating the Loew’s a local landmark, which would give the HPC greater oversight of the landmark and any future alterations. However, Jeffries wouldn’t comment on the city’s future plans for landmark designation.
