18 Park will include studio-, one- and two-bedroom apartments, some with a balcony or terrace offering views of the Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and downtown Manhattan. A few apartments will be built “townhome style,” with direct access from the street.

At a Wednesday groundbreaking, Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy called the start of work on the new project a milestone for Jersey City. “It not only signifies the start of another critical development that will create construction jobs, generate tax ratables and attract new residents to the area, but will also bring us closer to providing a much-needed, modern and safe facility for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County which will serve the children of Jersey City for generations to come,” said Mayor Healy.

The building will also include 10,500 square feet of ground-level retail space. Residents will have access to parking spaces in an enclosed parking deck.

Other amenities are to include a massive fish tank in the lobby, a fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, landscaped deck with planted green garden roof, billiards room, children’s playroom, catering kitchen and dining space, Wi-Fi lounge, television screening section and private storage space. Also, on-site porters and handy-men will be available 24 hours a day.

“Jersey City has become a magnet for residents seeking quality housing alternatives at better values than Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn,” says David Barry, president of Hoboken-based Ironstate. “The area’s extensive mass transportation adds a level of convenience unparalleled in much of the marketplace.”

Barry also noted the array of shops, restaurants and parks within the neighboring Paulus Hook neighborhood.

Jonathan Kushner, president of KRE, said at the groundbreaking that “Jersey City has become a national success story in terms of the redevelopment that’s taken place here, which has effectively blended new residential, retail, commercial and recreational space with an enviable riverfront location to create a comprehensive lifestyle experience.”

Housed in the 18 Park building but independently operated, the Boys & Girls Clubs will offer include high-tech classroom spaces, arts and music program space, a gymnasium with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall, and a modern lobby entrance? The new space will replace the current facility, originally put up in 1912 as a storage facility and retrofitted in 1984 by the organization, and now outdated, inefficient and costly to maintain.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where the private sector, municipal officials and a non-profit organization were all able to come together to formulate a plan that truly benefits everyone involved,” says Gary Greenberg of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County. “The organization has been in downtown Jersey City since 1893 and we currently provide programs in career development, technology, the arts, leadership development and sports and recreation for more than 1,000 members. Our new location allows us to remain right in the heart of a community we have been serving for more than 100 years.”