Jersey City Council members approved a resolution last week for the planning board to examine the land of the former Heights University Hospital for potential redevelopment.

Ward D Councilperson Jake Ephros says this would be the first step for the city to potentially take over the land via eminent domain.

"I'm really hopeful we can expedite it, that this study can go a bit quicker than other kinds of redevelopment plan area studies because of the urgency and the dire need of this particular institution," Ephros said.

In the meeting, community and councilmembers called for the land to be used to create a public hospital.

Vijay Chaudhuri, vice president of Community and External Affairs for Hudson Regional Health released the following statement:

"Eminent domain would be an extraordinarily costly and time consuming process for Jersey City that would do nothing to address the fundamental challenges inherited by HRH at Heights University Hospital. These include a heavily underinsured payer mix, significant reductions in government funding, and an outdated facility ill-suited for modern care.

HRH remains willing to engage directly with the administration and City Council to identify responsible solutions that ensure the long-term viability of healthcare in the region. This includes the creation of a new, state-of-the-art facility through the redevelopment process - one that would also expand affordable housing, generate much-needed ratables, and avoid burdening Jersey City taxpayers with tens of millions of dollars in an already challenging budget climate."