A Hudson County judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought against Jersey City by the nonprofit group that manages the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre, paving the way for Mayor Steve Fulop's plan to bring in a high-profile concert promoter to run the former movie palace.

In a six-page decision filed on June 4 and released today, Superior Court Judge Hector R. Velazquez ruled that there is no valid lease between the Friends of the Loew's (FOL) and the city that would stop Fulop from pushing the nonprofit out in favor of another management team.

FOL contends that in 2009 it renewed a five-year lease to manage the city-owned theater, but the city argued to the court that the document is void because the City Council never ratified FOL's request for a lease renewal. In his ruling, Velazquez sides with the city.

"Today was a great decision for returning Journal Square to its glory," said city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill. "If millions of taxpayer dollars are to be invested into the theater, we must ensure we have the most professional team responsible for taxpayer assets and we are thankful the court agreed."

Morrill added that the city "hopes" to involve FOL in the process in the future.

Colin Egan, who heads FOL, said he and the nonprofit's attorney are reviewing Velazquez's decision to see if there's basis for an appeal.

With Velazquez's ruling, the city can move ahead with its plan to find a new theater operator for the Loew's. It had been barred from doing so until Velazquez ruled.

The city began seeking an outside operator in February, infuriating the FOL, which believed after Fulop's election last year that it would be a part of the theater's revitalization. The mayor contends he asked FOL to help draft the city's request for outside operators or to bid on the proposal itself.

In March, FOL filed suit, saying the city was in breach of its lease with the nonprofit, a lease FOL said provided the group with exclusive rights to manage the theater. FOL alleges the city reneged on its promise to help find funding to restore the Loew's.

On May 1, the city announced that two of the world's biggest concert promoters, Live Nation and A.E.G., submitted proposals to run the theater. A city official said the city could pick a new management team in the next two weeks.

The Loew's opened in 1929 and was saved from a wrecking ball in 1986 when the city purchased it.