https://www.instagram.com/p/CnPZNu9ucI2/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

I work in the area so I've had access to it while they've been redeveloping the gateway concourse over the past few months.

I don't really feel like the concourse is ready for "prime time" but it's been nearly a ghost town for the limited businesses that are open.

The business folk don't give a damn about drinking a coffee and sitting down in the concourse lounge areas. They're always beelining straight to where they're tryna go, probably home.

I remember reading about how those bridges were built with public funds, so it's against the law to keep the public outside.

I'm curious as to whether they played a role in the decision, but I digress.

That was my post. I emailed my council member and city hall. Have followed up every month. They have completely ghosted me.

Note that the requirement was 24/7, so if they close on weekends or 6pm they're still stealing public land.

Edit: Yup, look at their response

>The Mulberry entrance is open Monday through Friday from 6am-7pm

Dont let the greedy developers steal our public spaces folks. This was built by taxpayers for public use.

I actually walked through it recently on the way back from work on the mulberry street side. It’s really nice. Only the pharmacy, Dunkin, and Jersey mikes are open rn but it looks like the Fresh N Co, Uncle Willies Wings, Chip City, and Farinella have exterior signage up and look relatively close to opening soon.

Looking forward to walking through it en route to a Devils game come playoff time! knocks on wood

>knocks on wood

Great. Just what he needs after going down in practice yesterday. /s

That joke got a Hughes laugh from me!

Jack or Luke?

Quinn actually!

I don't think Quinn laughs. Have you seen the photos of him?

That’s cause he’s not able to play and crack jokes w/ his brothers to loosen up! We need to fix that ASAP!

Wow! The contract being 24/7 is insane. Can I ask who your representative is? I'd like to call them out on it if ever given the chance as I run into these guys sometimes.

Moreover,

A main concern expressed to me during my travels is definitely the homeless. People wouldn't want them seeking shelter here because then it will ruin the area. Objectively speaking.

Of course, there's a greater problem at hand which is, why do we prioritize material things over human lives? We're okay with people freezing to death as long as it's out of sight and out of mind.

I personally don't want this place to be overrun by the homeless, but clearly we're not doing enough to fix the homelessness issue. People wouldn't overrun this place if they had a warm place to sleep at night. The streets are very scary.

In any case, I'm sure even with this place being open to the public, the police presence will be heavy, and they'll target individuals who are seen as "problematic".

> Can I ask who your representative is? I'd like to call them out on it if ever given the chance as I run into these guys

McIver, LaMonica
Graham, Nikki
Phillips, Ursula

>A main concern expressed to me during my travels is definitely the homeless. People wouldn't want them seeking shelter here because then it will ruin the area.

There have always been homeless people. It didnt stop the walkways being open for 40 years. It only closed when a new company bought the towers and decided the rules don't apply to them and/or the city of newark agreed to throw out the easement without telling us.

>A main concern expressed to me during my travels is definitely the homeless. People wouldn't want them seeking shelter here because then it will ruin the area.

They can easily enforce no loitering and no sitting on the floor rules, as they used to.

Those of us who work in Newark Penn could definitely use the new restaurant options

Just have them move along. It's not that serious. Dont allow them to camp out in there. Closing the space is BS

They mentioned in comments on that Instagram post that their normal hours would be open from 6am to 7pm. But they also mentioned that they would have extended hours on Devils gamedays and stay open up later for up to two hours after events ended.

Isn’t the gateway center in the east ward? Would it help to contact Silva’s office too?

So they turned it into…a mall. Cool

Agree on all points.

I never got to experience gateway before the renovations, so I can only make assumptions based off of what I've seen.

I'm familiar with LaMonica. If I run into her I'll ask for answers.

Thanks, let us know if you make any progress!

As a reminder, the easement I found said it should be open to the public at all times.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Newark/comments/y0wgsb/i_did_an_opra_on_gateway_and/

Before Covid it was open 5am-midnight 7 days a week.

AFAIK central/east line is the train tracks which makes it central ward (also where I live)

I wasn’t sure, so I looked it up.

You’re right, it goes to the train tracks, except for a weird cutout section.

Because of that cutout, Gateway isn’t in the Central Ward. Basically, City Hall to some border including Market, Clinton, and Raymond is a part of East award.

https://libguides.rutgers.edu/ld.php?content_id=60045375

It’s 100% in the east ward. Broad street around the arena up to Clinton street is all east ward. #NewarkPolitics

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/sara-imperiale/east-ward-risk-lead-despite-newark-mayors-assurances

The fuck kind of gerrymandering is that lol

UPDATE:

It is not in fact open. Passed by at 6:40pm, and they still had the same two ugly signs plus four (4) security guards. The Mulberry Street side still has the ugly caution tape blocking the main doors

Who the fuck designed this shit, and why didnt McIver tell me when I contacted her office multiple times?

It always was a mall. Just a failed one. The 2018 tenants were Dunkin (2x), Pharmacy, Margaritas coffee/lunch, chicken shop, Devils fan store, convenience store, pizza place

Yikes, that's a bad look.

The security guards are used to me passing through, so there was no way I could test this out myself.

On the Instagram page I linked to in a different comment, they specifically said it's open.

People could technically try showing the security guards the Instagram post as proof, but that's still a run around that people shouldn't have to do.

It's like having to prove you're not a criminal.

I noticed you werent the only one commenting about this issue. 3-4 people have posted on their instagram now.

I also noticed theyre not responding....

And it looks like they deleted most of the comments including the ones about staying open late and the ones pointing out they were lying

Fresh update on this front - I commented this on their instagram post about it back on Friday and followed up w a DM yesterday, they say they escalated the comments up internally and they were assured of that at the time the signs would be taken down and guards would not check for badges. They also followed up this morning saying they checked with the guards and they confirmed that the bridge was in fact open.

Haven’t been yet to confirm myself, but it looks like they are aware of it and that action has been taken.

On Monday they replied to a comment that the signs were gone and it was open...and I replied I was standing at Penn at 6pm and the gates were closed. They deleted my comment.

Yesterday I walked past the building on Mulberry and the caution tape was still up with the guard there, but I didnt try to go in.

The side doors on that side are still open though IIRC. I was talking about the Newark Penn Station side. Haven’t been in since Friday so IDK.

Yeah Im referring to the skybridge from Penn Station, which had the metal gates down even though they replied 5 hours earlier and said "it was open". Clearly the social media person doesnt actually work in Newark.

Ive never tried the doors on Market but theres usually a guard inside

Ill use Penn tomorrow so Ill check again