BYE BYE TO BURGERS, PIZZA
Journal Square eateries on the move to make way for demolition
Monday, January 07, 2008
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

While the rest of the world was ringing in 2008, a McDonald’s employee was flipping the last Big Mac in the Journal Square eatery. And Three Guys from Italy pizzeria, a Jersey City landmark for 50 years, also closed up shop on New Year’s Eve - both to make way for a $500 million two-tower development rising on the old Hotel on the Square block.But have no fear, McNugget and pepperoni pizza lovers. Both establishments - the last to close to make way for the highly anticipated development - will reopen within the shadows of the towers-to-be.

McDonald’s is relocating just across the square to 2873 Kennedy Blvd., the site of the former “Queen Bee” beauty supply store and next to Lord’s Men’s Shop, a McDonald’s spokesman said. They are hoping to open in that location in April.

Three Guys is moving to 2854 Kennedy Blvd., a ground-floor commercial space at the State Square apartment complex, which contains 130 rental units and opened about two years ago.”We look forward to serving our loyal customers in the Journal Square area as we have done for many years,” Dan McVeigh, real estate manager for McDonald’s NY Metro Region, said in a statement.

The burger maker didn’t go without a shove. The city sought and received a court order requiring McDonald’s to vacate the premises at 15-16 Journal Square by Dec. 31, city officials said.The city also is still in litigation with McDonald’s over the value of equipment McDonald’s had to leave behind, said Christopher Fiore, assistant executive director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.

Even though they are moving, Three Guys from Italy aren’t changing landlords.Harwood Properties of Jersey City, which is a development partner in the new project and therefore part-owner of entire block next to the PATH Transportation Center, is also part-owner of the State Square complex.”We don’t feel good about it, but at least were not going too far,” said Three Guys owner Andre Greco about vacating his space next to the PATH station.”The location by the train, you couldn’t beat it,” Greco added. “But we have no choice to leave. We’re lucky to find a location and we took it.”Greco said his rent will be a little less than he was paying and he hopes to be cranking out pizzas at the new location in six to eight weeks.

With McDonald’s and Three Guys gone, demolition of all the structures still standing on the old Hotel on the Square block should be finished by April, Fiore said.The new development, to be built over the course of two years, will have a 65-story north tower and 45-story south tower. The two towers will contain 1,500 market-rate rental units, 150,000 square feet of retail space, and 600 parking spaces.