UNION CITY—The ribbon was recently cut at the new North Hudson Higher Education Center for Hudson County Community College.
Located on Kennedy Boulevard, the satellite campus of the growing institution will help meet the demand for affordable education in northern Hudson County. The site was selected due to its location next to an NJ Transit bus depot and the Bergenline Avenue Station of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. The addition of a connecting bridge and stair tower was funded by Hudson County.
The seven-story building was designed by RSC Architects, who also designed the College’s Culinary Arts Institute in Jersey City, as well as their new Journal Square Welcome Center and recently renovated Two Enos Place facility. The 92,000- sq.-ft. building contains administrative spaces and a campus store on the first level, with numerous classrooms, labs, state-of-the-art media center, and fitness center throughout the floors above. The glass-enclosed pedestrian bridge and accompanying new stair tower with elevator access linking the transit hub allows students and visitors arriving by mass transit to access the campus via a separate secured entrance.
Other exterior features include a six-story curved curtain wall system, a rooftop terrace located outside of the executive offices and a 100-foot-tall clock tower. The design incorporates several sustainable elements, including rooftop solar panels, rainwater harvesting tanks, light shelves, daylight and occupancy sensors, recycled materials, very low flow fixtures and high-efficiency mechanical equipment. The facility is slated to receive LEED certification.