France’s Centre Pompidou has a new plan to open a satellite museum in Jersey City after its original concept for New Jersey was axed.
The Centre Pompidou x Jersey City project was first announced in 2021. The plan involved developing Journal Square’s iconic Pathside Building as the institution’s first and only North American site.
However, this proposal was cancelled when New Jersey politicians pulled funding from the project, saying it would require too much taxpayer money.
Under the new plan, which was approved in September by the Jersey City council, the museum will be located elsewhere and supported by a different financial arrangement.
Tax abatement for NJ project
This is a 30-year tax abatement for two 50-storey towers at 808 Pavonia Avenue that will include 100,000 square feet to house the new Centre Pompidou venue, NJ.com reports.
Anna Hiddleston-Galloni, a Centre Pompidou curator, told the Jersey Journal: “The idea with [Centre Pompidou x Jersey City] is it’s also a platform for local artists.”
She added: “For local artists, it has to be a place that is also serving them and we will interweave that with programming of exhibitions from our collections around themes that resonate with Jersey City.”
The new Centre Pompidou will join existing satellite locations in Metz, Malaga and Shanghai.
Last year, the Paris-based institution confirmed plans to open a contemporary art museum in Seoul, South Korea in 2025.
This came after the Centre Pompidou signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia to open a new museum in the kingdom’s AlUla development.
As for the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the museum is set to close for five years from summer 2025 for a major expansion and renovation project.
The cost of the Centre Pompidou’s redevelopment, provided by the French state, is €262 million.
Images courtesy of the Centre Pompidou
