After state funding was pulled for an outpost of a French art museum in Jersey City, a new proposal from Mayor Steve Fulop has revived hopes that the facility could still be built.
“This city will make $11 million more per year because of this cultural institution being there,” Fulop said during a city council caucus meeting earlier this week. “From a dollars and cents standpoint, we will benefit from that.”
The proposal for Centre Pompidou x Jersey City, an outpost of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, includes a 30-year tax abatement, something the city has not handed out in nearly a decade. City council members gave the plan a first reading Wednesday night, clearing the way for a consequential second reading and possible adoption within a few weeks.
The vote was not unanimous, as some council members said there weren’t enough details.
“It just really amazes me what things get rushed through and what things we have to take time to do,” said Councilman Frank Gilmore.
“I think the city is better served by saying, ‘Hey, this didn’t work out. We’ve got to hunker down, make sure we’re spending our money on the core things that city residents are asking for,’” Councilman James Solomon said in an interview before the meeting.
The Centre Pompidou in Paris tells NJ Spotlight News that while it’s still in discussions with Jersey City, it’s too early to say more.
