Banq on Parq

Where the Richness of History Meets the Opulence of the City This bank, which was constructed in the late 1920s, was referred to as the "Hollywood of the East" and stood as a symbol of grandeur and wealth. This antique bank building has been reused, and it features elaborate ornamentation made of marble, gold, and brass. The Banq on Parq is a multi-level event space that is located on the central pillar of this bustling metropolitan downtown district. There was a time when downtown banks were the places where hopeful home buyers filed for mortgages, where hard-working employees paid their paychecks, and where small children watched their first savings accounts accumulate nickels and dimes. But over the course of the last few decades, innovations like ATMs and online banking have rendered these once indispensable institutions irrelevant. Frank Cretella, who is also the president of Landmark Developers and the originator of Landmark Hospitality, has recently converted the old Plainfield Trust Company building in downtown Plainfield into a new event space known as Banq on Parq. This venue first opened its doors last summer. The revitalization of the Trust Company of New Jersey building on Newark Avenue in the heart of downtown Jersey City is his most recent endeavor. On the exterior, the arches that surround the six tall windows are sculpted to seem like a fleur-de-lis pattern, and the revolving entry door is framed with intricate scrollwork. On the inside, the ramp that leads up to the teller floor is flanked by a thick marble balustrade. Above, the vaulted ceiling that extends over the mezzanine is adorned with five elaborate chandeliers.