Slightly over two years ago, the property on Montgomery Street across from City Hall was little more than a vacant lot, one of a number of unsightly reminders of a time when downtown and the waterfront were still in decay. The area was used as a parking lot, but mostly was an eyesore at a key location in one of the hippest neighborhoods in Jersey City.
Over the last year and half, the construction of the Charles & Co. building on that site has helped fill in an important piece of the local landscape, doing for that side of Montgomery and Grove what the developer Silverman had done for the former site of the Majestic Theater diagonally across the street.
In fact, Charles & Co. was originally named Majestic II, but went through a name change to reflect a long time carpet and floor covering company that had existed on the site during the 1950s.
Since last summer, Charles & Co. has transformed that corner of the neighborhood, drawing clients to its ground floor retail, creating a new entrepreneurial environment and bolstering the village-like setting Grove Street has been historically noted for.
Finding a brick and mortar site
One of the latest tenants, Kanibal & Co., is no stranger to the neighborhood, starting out as an internet firm before investing in another brick-and-mortar location nearby.
“We started in 2006 on the internet,” said store owner, Kristen Scaila. “We got our first brick-and-mortar store in 2009.”
She said she liked to promote the local artisans who provide her inventory of jewelry, vintage clothing, house and home products, and stationery. Walking into the store is like walking back in time, with the flavor of the past in products that seem remarkably hip and up to date.
“At Kanibal & Co, we’re always developing new products and concepts to serve the needs of our customers.” – Kristen Scaila
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“At Kanibal & Co, we’re always developing new products and concepts to serve the needs of our customers,” she said, grateful for the opportunity to relocate into one of Grove Street’s most exciting buildings. “We were very lucky to get here.”
The company joins Haze Baby, CoolVines, Another Man’s Treasure, Maximum Motion Fitness, Mathnasium, and a restaurant.
“We’re thrilled to have Kanibal & Co. open and in our neighborhood,” said Paul Silverman, principal of Silverman. “Kristen is an inspirational entrepreneur and her store is a reflection of her enthusiasm.”
Not a new kid on the block
Silverman opened Charles & Co in July 2015 with 99 apartments, co-working space, and ground floor retail. The site has 100,000 square feet of residences as well as 10,000 square feet of commercial space. The idea was to help expand available retail along Grove Street.
The project ran into some community opposition over issues such as the originally proposed exterior color and the reduced number of parking places. But eventually most neighbors supported the project, citing the Silverman brothers’ positive reputation as local developers and strong supporters of local arts.
This project was part of a transformation of Grove Street that Silverman started with the original Majestic project, which made use of the 1907 Majestic Theatre to create a condominium building on Montgomery Street.
Many of the businesses that now reside in the building have relocated from nearby locations.
The Silverman headquarters are located on the second floor.
Paul and his brother, Eric, previously developed The Majestic across the street, a residential development with a gallery in its lobby, and Hamilton Square near Hamilton Park, Schroeder Lofts, and Two Ten Ninth St.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.