This fall, the Newark Downtown
District will have a new window of opportunity—with
a view from its office space in the renovated Union Building
onto Clinton Street. For the first time since the inception
of Newark’s first special improvement district
in 1999, the staff will manage programs from the ground
level. While the organization had been based in the heart
of the district—in office buildings at 24 Commerce
Street and most recently at 17 Academy Street, these
new doors will provide greater accessibility to the public.
Staying true to the NDD’s
mission of revitalizing downtown Newark, the office at
15 Clinton Street will set the tone for new storefront
design. Featuring bright colored awnings adorning the
windows, the exterior façade will be a model for
the city’s street level businesses to emulate.
Its interior will be sleek and modern, with bright wall
space serving as a canvas to showcase large renderings
of citywide developments. The wall displays and the state-of-the
art conference room will be visible from the street,
and the NDD’s presence will certainly be clear.
The office relocation is a key component of the revitalization
of Clinton Street. Often viewed as a connector between
the Gateway Complex on Mulberry Street and the towers
of the National Newark Building and Prudential Headquarters
on Broad Street, the pedestrian-scale Clinton Street
is becoming a destination of its own. Although its “twin,”
the Essex Building at the east side of Beaver Street
has housed state offices, the Union Building has been
vacant in recent years. Clinton Street Lofts, LLC, a
subsidiary of the Regan Development Corporation based
in Ardsley, New York, has utilized funding from the New
Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the Housing
and Mortgage Finance Agency to renew the historic building
as a mixed-use facility for office, retail and housing.
In August, sixty-three modern one and two bedroom apartments
were ready for occupancy.
Larry Regan, President of Regan
Development Corp. anticipates that this project will
help create a twenty-four hour neighborhood in the downtown
district. With Seton Hall Law School students living
in these apartments and Renaissance Towers standing in
close proximity, Clinton Street will truly become a coveted
residential address.
To complement the renovation of
the Union Building, the NDD will oversee the Clinton
Street Streetscape Project in early 2005. In conjunction
with streetscape improvements on Broad Street, the project
will introduce attractive urban design elements such
as decorative intersection treatments, granite curbing,
benches and landscaping.
Lighting will be enhanced by a
unique streetlamp called the Newarker designed by PSE&G
with assistance from Vollmer Associates. Lighted vertical
planters will be placed in key locations throughout the
street, and elaborate planters with flowers will adorn
the intersections as gateway treatments. The NDD is currently
assessing the possibility of unifying the district by
extending similar streetscape improvements to other blocks
downtown. For more information about NDD capital programs,
contact: 973-733-9333 or check the Website:www.downtownnewark.com.
Clean Team Shines
Wearing bright yellow and black
jackets, the NDD Clean Ambassadors have a welcome presence
on Newark’s streets, providing a hospitality service
and most importantly, ensuring that the sidewalks are
clean through pan-and-broom sweeping, trash pickup and
litter removal. During the winter, the fifteen-member
team engages in snow and ice removal from key areas,
and in summer months, they remove weeds, eliminate graffiti
and power wash the sidewalks throughout the district.
The Clean Team provides its employees—who are Newark
residents—with full benefits and competitive wages.
Anthony McMillan, Director of Operations for the NDD
hopes that the Clean Program will change people’s
perception of Newark. According to McMillan, the Clean
Team’s work has a direct impact on the city’s
image and its revival, and with the positive response
from local merchants and residents, he has confidence
that his team’s work can help dispel negative myths.
Stakeholders’ Luncheons
Provide an Open Forum
In 2003, the NDD initiated a quarterly
luncheon series to unite stakeholders and inform them
about current developments that strongly impact downtown
and its surrounding neighborhoods. The first luncheon
this year was held at the Mezzanine in the National Newark
Building on February 26th and focused on educational
programs. With a panel of speakers representing the Newark
Public Schools, Project GRAD—Newark, Teach for
America—New Jersey, and University Heights Science
Park, the presentations confirmed the collaborative spirit
between local public schools, non-profit organizations
and institutions of higher education.
By investing in teacher preparation, modern high-tech
infrastructure, and community involvement programs, Newark
schools will improve educational opportunities for the
city’s youth. As Carol Patterson
Brooks of the Newark Public Schools explained, Newark’s
goal is to “develop tomorrow’s leaders today,”
and the city is determined that “all children will
learn.”
Summer Events at Military Park
Throughout the summer, the NDD
invites the public to enjoy the outdoors by hosting successful
special events at Military Park. The Common Greens Farmers’
Market, which continues on Thursdays through October
28th, offers shoppers fresh organic produce, baked goods,
flowers, and natural products. At the Opening Ceremony
on June 24th, Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins
thanked the NDD for “making bustling activities
available on a regular basis.” She urged people
to become ambassadors for the City of Newark by spreading
the word and encouraging others to come. While live entertainment
draws the crowd to the park, the high-quality products
from The Bread Company, American Jubilee Desserts, Dirt
Bag Soaps, Hauser Hill Farms, Farmer Al’s, Mountain
Meadows Dairy and others keep attracting new customers
each week.
To complement the weekly Farmers’
Market, Foodtopia! creates a street-festival atmosphere
in Military Park three times annually. In 2004, events
were planned for June 4th, July 9th, and September 10th.
Featuring live entertainment from Starlyte Music, Milo
Z, Trio Da Paz, WBGO and others, along with more than
sixty food and merchandise vendors such as Just Fish
Café, The Savoy Grill, Market Street Bar &
Grill, Sleepwalker’s Art Gallery, and Nature’s
Remedy, Foodtopia! has become a destination for Newark’s
workforce, residents from surrounding communities, and
out-of-town visitors.
Newark Travel on the Rise
The growth and development of Newark
commerce is attracting more travelers to the Newark area.
Newark is seeing the highest demand for hotel rooms since
2000 according to industry data (STAR report, July 2004).
Port Authority reports indicate that in the first two
quarters of 2004 there has been a 12% increase in passengers
traveling to the Newark Liberty International Airport;
this has a direct correlation with visitors staying in
Newark hotels and dining in local restaurants. The Courtyard
Newark Airport has sold more room nights year-to date
in 2004 than 2003, even though sections of the hotel
were closed during the first quarter, for renovations.
Companies such as Nestle and ACS, the company managing
EZ Pass from its 275 McCarter Highway office, are expanding
their products and services and requiring more visitors
to attend training sessions here. Marriott’s creativity
in keeping the hotels current is creating positive experiences
for travelers. This year, the Courtyard Newark Airport
completed a $1.4 million renovation ensuring that free
high speed Internet access is available in every guest
room and wireless Internet access is in the lobby. To
celebrate this “re-invention,” the Newark
Airport Courtyard hosted “Destination Newark,”
an event that celebrated Newark as an exciting destination
to visit.
Marriott has also supported the
local community by encouraging clients and employees
to participate in a United Way clothing drive, which
generated 60 bags of clothing that were distributed locally.
During the past few months, the Courtyard Newark Airport
has also been hosting St. Paul’s First Baptist
Church’s services while the church is under construction.
Marriott Hotels have witnessed many changes in Newark,
and they are eager to continue participating in the city’s
renaissance.
Newark Launches Virtual Visitors
Bureau and Information Desk at www.GoNewark.com
No longer content with being known
as a “hidden” jewel, Newark is looking to
trumpet its renaissance far and wide with the launch
of a Web site that enables visitors to sample exciting
visitor attractions, the commercial climate and community
life in New Jersey’s largest city.
The site, www.GoNewark.com,
was formally launched at a press conference on April
5th at Newark’s Washington Square Conference Center,
a state-of-the-art facility reflecting Newark’s
position at the cutting edge of the new economy. Representatives
from the city’s visitor attractions, government,
businesses, community organizations and local schoolchildren
agreed that the site will be a critical tool for cultivating
interest in local tourism.
GoNewark.com features a combination
of original stories, plus links to local attractions,
event schedules, dining guide, maps, transportation information
and more. The site is organized into three main sections:
At Play describes Newark’s wealth of leisure activities,
including art, music, performance, dining and sports.
At Work is filled with information on employment, business
resources, higher education, industries and commercial
real estate. At Home features links and information on
programs, services, government, schools, health care
and neighborhoods.
“Whether you are looking to plan a night at the
theater and a top restaurant, researching Newark as a
business location or seeking a neighborhood advocacy
organization, GoNewark.com will be the go-to destination
on the Web,” said Newark Mayor Sharpe James. “The
level of interest in Newark right now is growing tremendously.
The city offers the visitor a diverse urban experience
of arts, culture, dining and history found nowhere else
in the surrounding metro area. Newark is also enjoying
status as a rising commercial center and as home to a
thriving residential community. GoNewark.com will satisfy
the growing thirst for information on all of these aspects
of Newark life.”
Also looking forward to the site’s
ability to augment local promotional efforts are operators
of the city’s visitor attractions, including Dean
Rivera, general manager of the Newark Bears baseball
team. “We get many inquiries from fans who ask
us for recommendations on restaurants and other family
activities to complete their day in Newark,” Rivera
said. “With GoNewark.com, these fans now have a
convenient place to learn about Newark’s cuisines
and find the latest family activities at attractions
such as the Newark Museum. It is the perfect complement
to their trip to the ballpark.”
The new GoNewark.com was created
in partnership between the City of Newark and the Regional
Business Partnership (RBP) using a $135,000 local tourism
development grant from the New Jersey Commerce &
Economic Growth Commission. The Regional Business Partnership,
a Newark-based business advocacy organization whose mission
includes a strong focus on revitalizing the city, took
the opportunity to use GoNewark.com as a way to harness
Newark’s diverse businesses and organizations behind
one common platform. A previous incarnation of GoNewark.com,
which was launched in 2000, regularly attracted between
15,000 and 20,000 unique visitors monthly and generated
more than one million page hits.
NDD NEWS
NDD Feature in NJ Biz News' Special Edition
This fall, the Newark Downtown District will have a new window of opportunity—with a view from its office space in the renovated Union Building onto Clinton Street. For the first time since the inception of Newark’s first special improvement district in 1999, the staff will manage programs from the ground level. While the organization had been based in the heart of the district—in office buildings at 24 Commerce Street and most recently at 17 Academy Street, these new doors will provide greater accessibility to the public.
Staying true to the NDD’s mission of revitalizing downtown Newark, the office at 15 Clinton Street will set the tone for new storefront design. Featuring bright colored awnings adorning the windows, the exterior façade will be a model for the city’s street level businesses to emulate. Its interior will be sleek and modern, with bright wall space serving as a canvas to showcase large renderings of citywide developments. The wall displays and the state-of-the art conference room will be visible from the street, and the NDD’s presence will certainly be clear. The office relocation is a key component of the revitalization of Clinton Street. Often viewed as a connector between the Gateway Complex on Mulberry Street and the towers of the National Newark Building and Prudential Headquarters on Broad Street, the pedestrian-scale Clinton Street is becoming a destination of its own. Although its “twin,” the Essex Building at the east side of Beaver Street has housed state offices, the Union Building has been vacant in recent years. Clinton Street Lofts, LLC, a subsidiary of the Regan Development Corporation based in Ardsley, New York, has utilized funding from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency to renew the historic building as a mixed-use facility for office, retail and housing. In August, sixty-three modern one and two bedroom apartments were ready for occupancy.
Larry Regan, President of Regan Development Corp. anticipates that this project will help create a twenty-four hour neighborhood in the downtown district. With Seton Hall Law School students living in these apartments and Renaissance Towers standing in close proximity, Clinton Street will truly become a coveted residential address.
To complement the renovation of the Union Building, the NDD will oversee the Clinton Street Streetscape Project in early 2005. In conjunction with streetscape improvements on Broad Street, the project will introduce attractive urban design elements such as decorative intersection treatments, granite curbing, benches and landscaping.
Lighting will be enhanced by a unique streetlamp called the Newarker designed by PSE&G with assistance from Vollmer Associates. Lighted vertical planters will be placed in key locations throughout the street, and elaborate planters with flowers will adorn the intersections as gateway treatments. The NDD is currently assessing the possibility of unifying the district by extending similar streetscape improvements to other blocks downtown. For more information about NDD capital programs, contact: 973-733-9333 or check the Website:www.downtownnewark.com.
Clean Team Shines
Wearing bright yellow and black jackets, the NDD Clean Ambassadors have a welcome presence on Newark’s streets, providing a hospitality service and most importantly, ensuring that the sidewalks are clean through pan-and-broom sweeping, trash pickup and litter removal. During the winter, the fifteen-member team engages in snow and ice removal from key areas, and in summer months, they remove weeds, eliminate graffiti and power wash the sidewalks throughout the district. The Clean Team provides its employees—who are Newark residents—with full benefits and competitive wages. Anthony McMillan, Director of Operations for the NDD hopes that the Clean Program will change people’s perception of Newark. According to McMillan, the Clean Team’s work has a direct impact on the city’s image and its revival, and with the positive response from local merchants and residents, he has confidence that his team’s work can help dispel negative myths.
Stakeholders’ Luncheons Provide an Open Forum
In 2003, the NDD initiated a quarterly luncheon series to unite stakeholders and inform them about current developments that strongly impact downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. The first luncheon this year was held at the Mezzanine in the National Newark Building on February 26th and focused on educational programs. With a panel of speakers representing the Newark Public Schools, Project GRAD—Newark, Teach for America—New Jersey, and University Heights Science Park, the presentations confirmed the collaborative spirit between local public schools, non-profit organizations and institutions of higher education.
By investing in teacher preparation, modern high-tech infrastructure, and community involvement programs, Newark schools will improve educational opportunities for the city’s youth. As Carol Patterson
Brooks of the Newark Public Schools explained, Newark’s goal is to “develop tomorrow’s leaders today,” and the city is determined that “all children will learn.”
Summer Events at Military Park
Throughout the summer, the NDD invites the public to enjoy the outdoors by hosting successful special events at Military Park. The Common Greens Farmers’ Market, which continues on Thursdays through October 28th, offers shoppers fresh organic produce, baked goods, flowers, and natural products. At the Opening Ceremony on June 24th, Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins thanked the NDD for “making bustling activities available on a regular basis.” She urged people to become ambassadors for the City of Newark by spreading the word and encouraging others to come. While live entertainment draws the crowd to the park, the high-quality products from The Bread Company, American Jubilee Desserts, Dirt Bag Soaps, Hauser Hill Farms, Farmer Al’s, Mountain Meadows Dairy and others keep attracting new customers each week.
To complement the weekly Farmers’ Market, Foodtopia! creates a street-festival atmosphere in Military Park three times annually. In 2004, events were planned for June 4th, July 9th, and September 10th. Featuring live entertainment from Starlyte Music, Milo Z, Trio Da Paz, WBGO and others, along with more than sixty food and merchandise vendors such as Just Fish Café, The Savoy Grill, Market Street Bar & Grill, Sleepwalker’s Art Gallery, and Nature’s Remedy, Foodtopia! has become a destination for Newark’s workforce, residents from surrounding communities, and out-of-town visitors.
Newark Travel on the Rise
The growth and development of Newark commerce is attracting more travelers to the Newark area. Newark is seeing the highest demand for hotel rooms since 2000 according to industry data (STAR report, July 2004). Port Authority reports indicate that in the first two quarters of 2004 there has been a 12% increase in passengers traveling to the Newark Liberty International Airport; this has a direct correlation with visitors staying in Newark hotels and dining in local restaurants. The Courtyard Newark Airport has sold more room nights year-to date in 2004 than 2003, even though sections of the hotel were closed during the first quarter, for renovations. Companies such as Nestle and ACS, the company managing EZ Pass from its 275 McCarter Highway office, are expanding their products and services and requiring more visitors to attend training sessions here. Marriott’s creativity in keeping the hotels current is creating positive experiences for travelers. This year, the Courtyard Newark Airport completed a $1.4 million renovation ensuring that free high speed Internet access is available in every guest room and wireless Internet access is in the lobby. To celebrate this “re-invention,” the Newark Airport Courtyard hosted “Destination Newark,” an event that celebrated Newark as an exciting destination to visit.
Marriott has also supported the local community by encouraging clients and employees to participate in a United Way clothing drive, which generated 60 bags of clothing that were distributed locally. During the past few months, the Courtyard Newark Airport has also been hosting St. Paul’s First Baptist Church’s services while the church is under construction. Marriott Hotels have witnessed many changes in Newark, and they are eager to continue participating in the city’s renaissance.
Newark Launches Virtual Visitors Bureau and Information Desk at www.GoNewark.com
No longer content with being known as a “hidden” jewel, Newark is looking to trumpet its renaissance far and wide with the launch of a Web site that enables visitors to sample exciting visitor attractions, the commercial climate and community life in New Jersey’s largest city.
The site, www.GoNewark.com, was formally launched at a press conference on April 5th at Newark’s Washington Square Conference Center, a state-of-the-art facility reflecting Newark’s position at the cutting edge of the new economy. Representatives from the city’s visitor attractions, government, businesses, community organizations and local schoolchildren agreed that the site will be a critical tool for cultivating interest in local tourism.
GoNewark.com features a combination of original stories, plus links to local attractions, event schedules, dining guide, maps, transportation information and more. The site is organized into three main sections: At Play describes Newark’s wealth of leisure activities, including art, music, performance, dining and sports. At Work is filled with information on employment, business resources, higher education, industries and commercial real estate. At Home features links and information on programs, services, government, schools, health care and neighborhoods.
“Whether you are looking to plan a night at the theater and a top restaurant, researching Newark as a business location or seeking a neighborhood advocacy organization, GoNewark.com will be the go-to destination on the Web,” said Newark Mayor Sharpe James. “The level of interest in Newark right now is growing tremendously. The city offers the visitor a diverse urban experience of arts, culture, dining and history found nowhere else in the surrounding metro area. Newark is also enjoying status as a rising commercial center and as home to a thriving residential community. GoNewark.com will satisfy the growing thirst for information on all of these aspects of Newark life.”
Also looking forward to the site’s ability to augment local promotional efforts are operators of the city’s visitor attractions, including Dean Rivera, general manager of the Newark Bears baseball team. “We get many inquiries from fans who ask us for recommendations on restaurants and other family activities to complete their day in Newark,” Rivera said. “With GoNewark.com, these fans now have a convenient place to learn about Newark’s cuisines and find the latest family activities at attractions such as the Newark Museum. It is the perfect complement to their trip to the ballpark.”
The new GoNewark.com was created in partnership between the City of Newark and the Regional Business Partnership (RBP) using a $135,000 local tourism development grant from the New Jersey Commerce & Economic Growth Commission. The Regional Business Partnership, a Newark-based business advocacy organization whose mission includes a strong focus on revitalizing the city, took the opportunity to use GoNewark.com as a way to harness Newark’s diverse businesses and organizations behind one common platform. A previous incarnation of GoNewark.com, which was launched in 2000, regularly attracted between 15,000 and 20,000 unique visitors monthly and generated more than one million page hits.
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