Historic Jersey City ‘Musicians Building’ to Become Apartments

A historic Jersey City building that once housed a musicians’ union hall is set to become a nine-unit apartment building after winning approval from the city’s Planning Board.

The board unanimously approved the project at 130 Central Avenue, known as the Musicians Building, in an 8-0 vote at its July 28, 2026, meeting. The plan calls for demolishing the interior of the existing two-story commercial building, adding a third story, and converting it into nine residential units, one of which will be designated affordable.

The building served as a commercial property for more than 70 years and was historically home to Local 526 of the American Federation of Musicians. Under the plan, the historic street-facing facades will be preserved and restored, including the red and yellow brick, the cast stone window details, and the historic “Musicians Building” lettering above the front entrance.

The site comes with a bit of neighborhood lore. During the hearing, the applicant’s attorney, Gino O’Connell, shared that three doors down from the building, there once stood a pickle factory where people could buy a pickle for five cents.

The project uses the city’s Affordable Housing Overlay, which allowed it to move forward without any variances and without providing on-site parking. It includes bicycle storage and a green roof designed to help manage stormwater.

The developer also agreed to several conditions. Responding to a neighbor’s concerns about her property and an 80-year-old tree next to the building, the developer agreed to coordinate directly with her before and during construction to protect her home and safely handle any tree trimming. The developer will also install pedestrian curb bump-outs at Central Avenue and Waverly Street to improve safety, plant six new street trees, and add new curbs and sidewalks.

Following requests at community meetings, the developer also agreed to add bird-safe measures to the windows to help prevent birds from striking the glass.