In 2014 the Jersey City Board of Education completed a demographic study that forecast a 25% increase in the student age population in the next five years in downtown Jersey City. To help meet the potential demand for school services, the Jersey City Board of Education submitted a bid to the JCRA to use empty classrooms in the 9th & Marin building starting in the fall of 2014. The JCBOE would have used the space to create more PreK classrooms for downtown and an arts focused middle school open to all Jersey City residents. The JCBOE also agreed to share the building with any other tenants that may want to use the remaining space. In January 2015 the JCRA announced that 4 bids had been submitted and all of them were rejected. The building continues to sit unused at this time. The City's long term plans for the building have not been communicated.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF 180 9TH STREET

180 9th Street was the home to The Betz Brewery. The building was taken by the city and demolished. The golden door charter school was built under the Schundler Administration from a $32 million bond that included $9.5 million for an "educational-recreation center" on the site of the for Betz Brewery. The Golden Door Charter School occupied the building for 13 years until 2011. The monthly rent started out in the high $60,000's and was $77,000 per month when Golden Door had to move locations as they were unable to pay another rent increase which would raise the rent to $85,000 per month. As of 2014 the city has a debt of approximately $725,000 per year on the building.

LINKS & ARTICLES

The Betz Brewery Redevelopment Plan can be viewed here

Lembeck and Betz Eagle Brewing Company
http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Pages/L_Pages/Lembeck.html

Jersey City Then and Now - Lembeck & Betz Brewery - 9th Street at Marin Boulevard / Henderson
http://www.jerseycitythenandnow.com/2013/10/lembeck-betz-brewery-ninth-street-and.html

TRF The Reinvestment Fund Golden Door Charter School
http://www.trfund.com/golden-door-charter-school/

Jersey City Redevelopment Agency - Betz Brewery
http://www.thejcra.org/index.php?p=project-details&pid=59

Charter School Downtown Can't Buy Community Center from City
http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/2572870/article-Sorry--we-re-not-selling-Charter-school-downtown-can-t-buy-community-center-from-city-?instance=search_results

Jersey City's Golden Door Charter School to move for more space, cheaper rent
http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2011/07/post_33.html

Mayor Fulop, Jersey City Board of Education bump heads over pre-K centers
http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2014/03/mayor_fulop_jersey_city_board.html