Head of New Jersey’s Liberty Science Center Plans New Tech Campus

Paul Hoffman, self-described ‘big kid,’ sees new era for one of state’s largest cultural institutions

By   Sophia Hollander

Fun had been officially removed from the mission statement of the Liberty Science Center by the time Paul Hoffman arrived to run the Jersey City museum 3½ years ago.

He had other ideas.

“I’m a big kid,” said Mr. Hoffman, 59 years old, who typically wears bright sneakers, jeans and a black T-shirt to museum meetings—and its gala. “This place should be playful.”

So far, Mr. Hoffman has brought in a resident magician, David Blaine, who is scheduled to perform May 1 at the annual Genius Gala Mr. Hoffman instituted (this year’s honorees include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos). He oversaw the installation of the so-called infinity climber—a suspended jungle gym—that hangs over the museum’s three-story atrium.

Now Mr. Hoffman is embarking on a more serious project: Earlier this year, Liberty Science Center, one of the largest cultural institutions in New Jersey, won the rights to develop 16 adjacent acres into a science and technology campus dubbed SciTech Scity.

Plans include a K-12 science-focused school, a science-themed hotel, visiting scholar residences and a business incubator. Museum and city officials estimate the project will cost around $250 million, with an initial target of raising $80 million.

Mr. Hoffman has been a restaurateur, tournament chess player, professional puzzle-crafter under the alias Dr. Crypton, science pundit, encyclopedia president, author and an adviser to Walt Disney   DIS   0.49       %             World’s Epcot Center (when he was editor of Discover magazine, then owned by Disney).

Read more:  http://www.wsj.com/articles/head-of-n ... ew-tech-campus-1429921178