Yup, i’m all for maintaining historical areas, but where the Arc is located is far from “historical”

Living in Newark all my life I eventually learned James Street is mostly populated by city hall employees a handful of college professors who think they're above it all.

Especially a former Newark police commissioner or chief who decided he was going to alter the facade of a historic building on the corner of Washington and James Street. The very historic windows were replaced by little windows. Naturally, nothing happened to him. But I digress.

They are majority African-American and their opposition to high density development is double ended. On one end they want no low income housing. On the other end they don't want to upset the racial balance of the neighborhood. As I stated before, the ark will upset the desired minority majority nah! I'll just say it . The liberal black majority racial balance of the neighborhood. I suspect City square and the port now are having issues behind the scenes with these James Street Elite wannabes.

They don't even want minority capitalists and entrepreneurs!

But as to the actual proposed building, I like it I would prefer if duplicates fill in James Street, Burnett and Eagles. But we need to have large buildings at least four stories on the corners with room for retail or restaurant!

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This is what l texted the Arc Tower attorney Calvin to show the developer!

• Good afternoon Calvin, my name is Kaleb Jackson. I work at swahili village in downtown Newark. Me and others on the Newark Reddit page who support the tower and its benefits to the city and neighborhood are wondering if the project is dead or having to be scaled down to meet the standards for the people on James Street. Honestly this is America there is no law in Newark or in this country that says your tower can't be built. The zoning laws in that area allows for a building that tall and even taller. It's a very beautiful structure and looks like a better version of an already beautiful tower called halo. I still want to see this thing get approved, options the developers can make is to keep the same design but make the building art deco in facade. Like look at one theater square materials, or both of Shaq tower materials if we can make the tower look like some of the buildings in the historic area maybe they can approve it.

• The tower could also include the facade of the buildings that are getting demolish or something. An art deco building may not be shinny and beautiful as a glass tower but an Art deco building this tall would be amazing, the last art deco building that is tall is the National Newark Building and if this tower was to dethrone that building it could be by another Art deco style building. I don't know how it will look with the current design but anything is possible. I would love to work with the developer or the architect to see what we can do. Other than that we still have hope, especially the kids my age because we need places to live in the future. Newark can't be the same Newark I seen when I was in elementary school.

• Downtown looks a little bit different only in certain areas. The historic district needs to understand this is our city too and just because we don't live in the area doesn't mean I don't have the right to fight for something that could help us a lot. With all those units that's more people paying taxes, that's more money going to our schools. Final statement that building does have to go down because it's old. We already had a building collapse during the summer on beaver street. This building is by a school, if it does decide to fall down who is in danger the James street association or those poor kids who walk pass the building to go home or to school.