10 Most 2025: The Universal Building – Jersey City (Hudson County)

The Universal Building, located at 50 Journal Square in Jersey City, is a significant architectural and cultural landmark now at risk of demolition. Built between 1925–1926 by Henry W. Runyon’s Universal Securities Corporation, it is an early example of a flatiron-style skyscraper, standing eight slender stories high on a triangular lot. Designed by the renowned firm Clinton & Russell with J. Hollis Wells—one of Wells' final projects before his death—the building was part of a 1920s building boom that helped shape Journal Square into a dynamic commercial center. 

Historically, the Universal Building played multiple important roles. It housed radio station WAAT, which broadcast early 24-hour news and featured performances from artists like Frank Sinatra. It was also one of the first commercial buildings in the area to rent space to African American political organizations and served as home to longstanding local businesses, including a key retailer in Jersey City’s early hip-hop scene. 

Today, the building is vacant and in disrepair, held together only by minimal structural support, while its owners—who have held it for generations—struggle with the burden of restoration. Meanwhile, the City of Jersey City is pursuing eminent domain with plans to demolish the structure to build a pedestrian plaza leading to a new satellite of the Pompidou art museum. A court ruling on the building’s fate is expected soon. Regardless of the outcome, the Universal Building is on the verge of being lost—either to demolition or neglect—threatening the erasure of a critical piece of Journal Square’s architectural and cultural history. 

The Universal Building is a rare and iconic piece of Jersey City’s history, tied to its architectural, cultural, and civic legacy. As Journal Square rapidly transforms, preserving this early flatiron skyscraper is essential to honoring the city’s past and maintaining its unique identity amid rising development pressure.