NEWARK, NJ | NJPAC Development | 6 Acres

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NJPAC Envisions Major Six-Acre Development in Downtown Newark

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has announced plans to extend Mulberry Street north to Rector Street and have this new block become the focus of a 6.1-acre development initiative. A new page on NJPAC’s website, “What’s Next for Newark?,” features a rendering of this proposal from Manhattan-based rePLACE Urban Studio and mentions that if the project comes to fruition, it would be “an open, welcoming ‘public realm’ where the arts and artists can come outside and reach people on the street.”

Currently, the site of a parking lot, the Mulberry Street extension would be lined with two five-story or six-story mixed-use buildings that would include apartments atop restaurants and “cultural assets.” Meanwhile, according to NJPAC, a high-rise development with apartments and retail space is in the works closer to Center Street while 24 townhouses are envisioned as well.

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Then, in May, Newark’s Chief Development Officer, Carmelo Garcia, said that NJPAC was “working on a master plan and we’re excited to see what that’s going to unveil.” The President and CEO of the Newark Alliance, Aisha Glover, also told Jersey Digs at the time that NJPAC released a Request for Proposals (RFP) in order to find a developer for the six-acre property.

“The visioning for that site is pretty amazing and it will really help extend Mulberry Commons and activate a lot of the underdeveloped space and parking lots on that end,” said Glover, who confirmed that a residential component was in the works. When asked about the RFP over the summer, a spokesperson for NJPAC said that “it’s still early in the process.”

The new page on NJPAC’s website does not include a timeline for the latest proposed projects, nor is there any mention of how the proposed apartments would be priced. It does state, however, that this is “an ambitious plan, but the Newark real estate market has incredible momentum right now.”

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Jersey Digs