The Hoboken Girl Team 
The Jersey City Council recently approved plans for a 50-story mixed-use building project located at 2873 John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Among the plans approved were the layout of a 25,000-square-foot Whole Foods location on the ground floor. A longtime Jersey City business, Boulevard Drinks, could be displaced from its location at 48 Journal Square Plaza by the construction. Read on for more about what we know about the future of Boulevard Drinks.
A 90-Year Legacy on the Chopping Block
Boulevard Drinks, located at 48 Journal Square Plaza, has been in the same spot serving hot dogs and drinks since 1937. Even though the business has a lease through 2034, owner Victor Victoratos says that he was notified by the landlord that they must vacate by May 31st, 2026, according to NJ.com. He suspects that the original owner sold the building and didn’t close the lease term with the new owner.
As of June 1st, 2026, Boulevard Drinks has not yet vacated and is still fighting with its legal team to stay at its current location, according to Victor’s Instagram.
Boulevard Drinks is exactly the kind of neighborhood institution that makes Journal Square special. Keeping it here is our priority,” Mayor James Solomon and Councilman Tom Zuppa said in a statement. “We spoke to the owner (Sunday) and emphasized our commitment to a solution. While we did not create this problem, we are committed to solving it. That means working with developers and community members to find a path that keeps Boulevard Drinks in the neighborhood.”
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The hot dog spot is known for its eye-catching yellow + orange exterior and its generations-long history of feeding Journal Square residents + visitors. The Hoboken Girl has reached out to the Boulevard Drinks team to learn more about its future.
Changes in Journal Square
The new project includes over 800 residential units, including income-restricted units, plus two floors of retail space. The first floor is confirmed to be a 25,000-square-foot Whole Foods location, according to a source close to the project. It will be a full-service Whole Foods, and the second floor is another 25,000 square feet of retail, which has yet to be determined.
The Journal Square neighborhood of Jersey City has seen a significant amount of change over the past few years, with one major project completed and another major project being abandoned. Journal Squared is a huge multi-purpose development that has three towers, with over 1,800 residential units. It has also become the site of several businesses, including a Target, and several cafes, fitness spots, and restaurants.
On the other hand, the ambitious Pompidou Jersey City project was declared dead in early 2026. The project, which kicked off in 2018, would have seen a satellite location of the Centre Pompidou, a French art museum and center, open in Jersey City. Jersey City bought a building at 25 Journal Square/84 Sip Avenue, known as the Pathside Building, for the purpose of building the museum.
The project was a pet project of former Mayor Steven M. Fulop and was generally criticized by many for its costs, lack of information, and burden on taxpayers. Eventually, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority withdrew its support of the project in 2024. A fall 2025 proposal to convert the property into a hotel and food hall never materialized. Mayor Fulop’s term ended in early 2026, and new Mayor James Solomon was quick to pivot the project.
In February 2026, it was announced that Mayor Solomon’s office is partnering with Kushner Real Estate Group (KRE) to add affordable housing to the space that was originally designated for the Pompidou Museum. The affordable housing will be part of KRE’s Artwalk Towers development that’s already under construction. It’s a two-tower project that’s directly across from the Journal Square PATH station.
Another significant project in Journal Square is the renovation of Loew’s Theater, located at 54 Journal Square. The theater was originally built in 1929 and closed in 1986. It was purchased by the city in 1993. A new operator stepped in in 2021, who committed to a significant renovation. The theater has been closed since then and is set to reopen in Fall 2026.
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