Glad this is coming along. Now let’s hope they will break ground on the other side of the tracks w the citisquare project. Did they solve the living wage issue for the staff?

It got its tax abatement so I am assuming everything worked out. Won’t see a ground breaking until next year most likely. They should start at the same time as NJPAC phase one development.

Thank you! Good to know.

Vermella developers are taking over Newark, East Newark, and Harrison. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. Rent prices are still unaffordable for most local residents.

Now to narrow the roads, add bike lanes, and extend the lightrail up Broad Street/Broadway.

Newark has such historical and beautiful buildings. These cookie cutter apartments from Harrison don’t seem to be good enough for Newark in my option. Love seeing Newark grow though.

And they'll stay that way if the only development is these luxury shit holes.

Not sure why cities don't take more inspiration from Barcelona's superblocks or the buagruppens in Germany. It actually creates nice neighborhoods and community spaces.

The average homegrown newarker will not afford the rent lol the gentrification has started

Yeah either people move in that can afford it or the properties will just languish in disrepair till the next wave of capital rolls in to try building again.

Yeah they are built to optimize return on investment and not to fit in with the character of the city. They are everywhere too, so cities are just starting to look the same anywhere there is a commuter rail or highway. Saw similar all the way down to Florida on a train trip, and then just cookie cutter houses along the highways down there. Lots of capital and people just crunching numbers to figure out where to build.

The Street needs to be overhauled...I want protected bike lanes , tree lined median and more pedestrian friendly infrastructure.

It's already started just growing out of the bounds of downtown... Newark requires a minimum % of units to be affordable at least. It's kinda damned if you do damned if you don't though, at least in our current market. We'd need to see major reforms to public housing policies to change anything

I hope they can make walking under 280 less dangerous/ sketchy. Ideally just demolish it but that's never gonna happen

Not building anything will not help unaffordability for anyone.

Just came out of a focus group for Newark Penn modernization and half of us all mentioned the lack of pedestrian infrastructure (bike lanes, more green space)

This project will make the many empty lots and decrepit buildings in the lower Broadway section so much more appealing to developers. The housing deficit is huge. Every little bit helps.

If the city wants to be serious about getting rid of the riff raff, rents need to be jacked up. Either get with the program and figure out a legal way to afford it, or move out.

Oh well. They can leave.

Lol ok they can move in with you

riff raff 💀💀 can u explain what u mean by that

Here's a video. It's Charlotte based but it's relevant here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjrF8pSyE3s&t=83s

Repurposing this area is a good thing, it needed an overhaul. That doesnt necessarily mean ALL of Newark needs to be demo’ed and turned into ‘luxury housing’. I think thats a big fundamental issue I notice in this sub, facebook discussions, etc. Turning vacant lots that no one in decades wanted to touch and adding luxury units doesnt mean the area is kicking people out and fully gentrifying…its just adding newer housing stock at this point.

I understand people’s concerns and there will always be critics, however, this area desperately needed this in attempts to start change and to refresh housing stock.

Look at Passiac Ave in Kearny/East Newark (specifically Vermella East and West properties since were talking about Vermella/Russo in this thread). Residents there, still complain (which honestly, for the most part, a lot of the complaints there are unfounded and lack support from facts/data as it pertains to traffic, school congestion, etc. but I digress). That redevelopment zone took abandoned and contaminated areas; revitalized it and build these apartments and then built a river walk, new sidewalks, plants, etc. which are also accessible by the community.

East Newark is now building a park (adjacent to clay street bridge), renovated Tops and repurposing the Clarke Thread warehouses. The entire community benefits from it, not just those living in those buildings. Now, in this area, did it lead to buyers completely revamping their housing stock in attempts to collect more rent? Somewhat. You saw a buyer overpay for the General Kearny Apartments and slightly increase rent (slightly!). In return, they worked on roofing and exterior improvements, are continuously working on the cockroach infestation they have there and slowly upgrading the inside’s of units as there is attrition and turnover. Once again, this is a good thing. People are retrofixing old housing stock to be modernized and safe for decades to come….but that investment USUALLY starts when more developer interest occurs.

This is happening in Newark, theres a development Boom in very isolated and specific areas (some controversial, others not so much). And as a result, as long as the city can keep making good deals (living wage for local workers at these residential buildings, Low income housing stock in exchange for PILOT, etc. etc.) it can be a good thing. What Harrison did in the lower portion of the town is frustrating; but thats NOT the approach Newark and other towns (referencing Kearny and East Newark) are doing.

Understandably, people are afraid of the change and what that will do to the community. Change is scary, I get that. But on the other side of the coin, we also need to keep modernizing housing to meet todays standards to boast quality of life (and unfortunately, that does come at a cost)