Owner of Former Christ Hospital Threatens Demolition for Luxury Development

Hudson Regional Health (HRH), the owner of Heights University Hospital—formerly Christ Hospital—has formally threatened to demolish the facility and replace it with a large-scale luxury residential project if redevelopment proposals are not approved by Jersey City, according to documents provided to HudPost by the James Solomon campaign.

In a letter to the city’s Division of Planning dated October 13, 2025, HRH CEO Dr. Nizar Kifaieh wrote, “If a redevelopment plan is not available to secure a long-term solution for Heights University Hospital, we unfortunately must preserve our option to proceed forward with alternative proposals for the land.”

A concept plan titled “CHRIST HOSPITAL 10 STORY SCHEME,” dated September 25, 2025, outlines two 10-story residential towers with a total of 2,200 units. The site is divided into residential and medical zones, with most of the space allocated for housing.

Mayoral candidate James Solomon condemned the proposal, stating that HRH threatened to “demolish the hospital and erect a massive development along the Palisades” if its housing project is not approved. He characterized the company’s approach as driven by “developer greed” and a focus on “profit, not healthcare.”

Hudson County Commissioner and mayoral candidate Bill O’Dea also opposed the redevelopment. He stated that any future plan must include “an ironclad, long term, permanent and enforceable guarantee of maintaining it as a full-service acute care hospital.” He called any plan to reduce the facility to an urgent care center or similar model a “non-starter.”

O’Dea further stated that HRH had “threatened to shut it down” less than a year after acquiring the hospital. He rejected the use of public funds to benefit private owners, saying, “It is not the government’s role to bail out private corporations or individuals who make bad real estate investments.”