Most of the employees heading to Metropark will eventually die of boredom. Hard to believe they couldn't (wouldn't?) find affordable space elsewhere in JC.

That headline sort of misses the main point of the article...

Provident Bank plans to move most of corporate staff to Metropark in Woodbridge, while moving its headquarters to Downtown Jersey City; branch operations won't be affected

Thursday, July 29, 2010
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Provident Bank's headquarters on Bergen Avenue in Jersey City is up for sale and the majority of the bank's corporate staff will move out early next year.

Bank officials released a statement this week saying they will maintain their headquarters in Jersey City and the company is looking to lease office space Downtown.

But only five to 10 bank officials, including CEO Christopher Martin, members of the parent company, Provident Financial Services, Inc., and the Provident Bank Foundation will remain in Jersey City.

In its statement, the bank said it is moving administrative offices currently in Woodbridge, Edison and Jersey City to Metropark, a train station and office park in Woodbridge.

The Metropark office will have about 280 employees, 160 of whom are moving from Jersey City, according to the statement by the bank.

New Jersey's oldest bank, Provident Bank was founded in Jersey City in 1839 and served immigrants entering the country through "America's Golden Door." By the 1960s, the bank had six branches in Jersey City.

Today, with roughly $7 billion in assets, the bank has more than 80 branches across the state, 15 in Hudson County, seven in Jersey City, and has over 170 branch employees.

Jersey City Deputy Mayor Rosemary McFadden, who oversees economic development, said bank officials met with the city before announcing the move. She said the building at 830 Bergen Ave. has "potential" for other business ventures.