Jersey City hospital could be replaced by apartments
Taken from NJ.com
By Jackie Roman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
October 23, 2025
The owners of Heights University Hospital are requesting approval from Jersey City officials to build a new hospital adjacent to the current one and pair it with residential development.
Otherwise, Hudson Regional Health “must proceed forward with alternative proposals for the land,” wrote Hudson Regional Health Chief Executive Officer and President Dr. Nizar Kifaieh in an Oct. 13 letter to the Division of City Planning.
One of the alternative uses for the site involves building a pair of 10-story residential buildings with more than 2,200 total units. The concept plan was created by MHS Architecture, a firm based in Hoboken. It’s preliminary and has not been formally submitted to the city as of Thursday.
Simultaneously, Heights University Hospital has begun downsizing and winding down services. On Oct. 14, the hospital submitted a Certificate of Need application to the New Jersey Department of Health requesting a staged hospital closure, according to a letter from the state health department.
The two-phased plan submitted with the application calls for the hospital to close by Nov. 10, according to the letter which was shared with NJ Advance Media.
Despite the redevelopment plan and the application for closure, Hudson Regional spokeswoman Lisa Herrmann said nothing is final yet.
The company “continues to work with local and state leaders to determine a long-term path for sustainability, preserve healthcare services in the Heights, and ensure the hospital’s continued role in serving the community,” Herrmann said Thursday in a statement sent to NJ Advance Media.
“The concept plan is an option for the hospital,” Herrmann said.
Closing is an option, too, if the hospital doesn’t receive $25 million of additional funding from the state, which the owners say it needs to stay open.
“Should the funding referenced above materialize, it will provide much-needed short-term funding for Heights University Hospital,” Kifaieh wrote to the Division of City Planning.
However, a long-term solution such as redevelopment is still needed, said Kifaieh.
James E. Solomon, a Jersey City councilman and mayoral candidate, accused Hudson Regional of negotiating in bad faith during a press conference Tuesday morning.
“To me, if you’re attempting to threaten the people of Jersey City with the demolition of their health care and hospital in the Heights, that’s not good faith,” said Solomon in a video posted on his Instagram account.
Solomon said Hudson Regional’s aim was to demolish the hospital for luxury development.
Hudson Regional defended its actions in a statement released Tuesday afternoon, calling Solomon’s comments “clearly misleading and an attempt to grab campaign headlines.”
“Taking shots at us for headlines in campaign season doesn’t help one patient. After collaborating with the community and determining the extent of resources made available to Heights University Hospital, we would anticipate including a viable healthcare facility as part of the final plan,” the company said.
Meanwhile, Heights University Hospital has begun implementing a stabilization plan that involves winding down some non-essential services.
It will continue to run the emergency room, critical care and medical-surgical services, an adequate number of operating rooms, behavioral health, and other services.
Hospital officials said they expect a majority of employees affected by the restructuring to be offered continued employment within the Hudson Regional hospital system. The company is also planning to host job fairs for affected employees.
Hudson Regional took over Heights University Hospital, formerly Christ Hospital, and two others from CarePoint Health System in April in federal bankruptcy court. The company now runs four hospitals, including Bayonne University Hospital, Hoboken University Hospital and Secaucus University Hospital.
The company said it has been trying hard to keep the hospital open and has pumped $300 million into operations, with a major portion dedicated to Heights University Hospital.
Despite that investment, Kifaieh said Wednesday in a statement that persistent financial challenges “driven by a combination of low reimbursement rates, cuts to Charity Care, and a high rate of uninsured patients—have made continued operations in the current model unsustainable.”