Sam Pesin, president of Friends of Liberty State Park, has come out in favor of the plans for SciTech Scity, an expansion of Liberty Science Center.

Jersey City has won a big victory in its bid to turn a vacant tract of city land near Liberty Science Center into a new sci-tech complex, with the Friends of Liberty State Park group coming out in favor of the project.

The FOLSP board voted at its Monday night meeting to support the $276 million project, a massive science workshop and office building that would include a hotel, residential housing and a K-12 school. A critical vote on the project, known as SciTech Scity, is scheduled for tomorrow night's City Council meeting.

In an email to The Jersey Journal, Sam Pesin, president of Friends of Liberty State Park, called SciTech Scity a "visionary plan" that would not have a negative impact on Liberty State Park. SciTech Scity would be located on a now-vacant tract of land next to Liberty Science Center, which is inside the state park.

"The park is a beacon for people's quality of life and it would be next to a beacon for science and this would be a beneficial and unique match," Pesin said. "We have great respect for the Jersey City home-owning activists who are expressing financial concerns and who have been strong park supporters, but we feel this unique, forward-looking science and technology hub will further strengthen our city and our society, and be an exceptional neighbor to Liberty State Park."

The city has said the deal will lead to hundreds of permanent and temporary construction jobs and define the nearby Lafayette neighborhood as "home of the premier science center in the region."

The project is opposed by two City Council members, Rich Boggiano and Michael Yun, who say they like the idea of SciTech Scity but aren't supportive of giving Liberty Science Center 16 acres of land that the city has not yet appraised. The local teachers union came out against the plan over the weekend, with its president saying the city is rushing into the deal.

Tomorrow the council is scheduled to vote on giving the 16 acres to the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, which would then enter into an agreement with SciTech Scity, a new arm of Liberty Science Center. SciTech Scity would get the land for $10 and the city would share in some of the profits.

The SciTech Scity vote could turn tomorrow's council meeting into a marathon. The council is required to hold a public hearing on the measure and speakers will have no time limit. Liberty Science Center sent out an email yesterday urging its members to speak in favor of the project tomorrow, while critics of the deal are also planning to attend.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.