Under the auspices of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the armory is leased to the city for community and political events and extracurricular sports programs.

[4][5] In 1941, the large archway and turrets that served as a portion of the entrance façade from the previous armory was erected at Pershing Field park in the Jersey City Heights.

Opening in 1937, the armory was constructed between 1934 and 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression along with the city's other premier sports venue, the since demolished Roosevelt Stadium.

[3] Between 2005 and 2009 the armory underwent a two-phase $5.7 million renovation funded by the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to turn the facility into a modern sports arena.

The second phase saw new restrooms on the first floor and upper level along with two new locker rooms and new operable windows on the Montgomery Street side of the facility.

The event is in memory of Dan Finn, a St. Peter's Preparatory School and Fordham University graduate who died in an accident and as an organ donor, was able to assist four people after his death.

[18][19] Prior to the opening of the Yanitelli Center on its nearby campus in 1975, Saint Peter's University hosted its home games at the armory.

[27] In October and November 2012, the armory served as an emergency shelter for hundreds of Jersey City residents that were displaced after Hurricane Sandy struck the New York area.

The 108th Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst provided services such as sleeping cots, shower locations, food and security for the displaced residents.

[29] The floor space and height of the Armory has led to it being used as a temporary studio for many projects, including Chazz Palminteri's A Bronx Tale, the Faye Dunaway thriller Eyes Of Laura Mars, Laura Brannigan's music video "Self-Control",[30] Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry,[31] Terry Kinney's Diminished Capacity,[32] A Perfect Murder by Andrew Davis.,[33] and Jim Jarmusch's,Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).

Nearby landmarks include the historic Art Deco Beacon residential complex, Hudson Catholic Regional High School, Saint Peter's University and Old Bergen Church.

The nearby Journal Square Transportation Center provides direct connections via the PATH rapid transit system to Newark, Harrison, Downtown Jersey City, Hoboken and Manhattan.