$336M NJPAC redevelopment breaks ground in Newark (photos)

Wednesday was a day many years in the making for the City of Newark as leaders, officials and stakeholders gathered to break ground on a $336 million project to redevelop the New Jersey Performing Arts Center 's (NJPAC) downtown campus.

The reimagined 12-acre NJPAC grounds, scheduled for completion in fall 2027, include several components, such as:

• ArtSide
  
  
  
  
  
  • Mixed-use, mixed-income residential complex developed by NJPAC, LMXD and MCI Collective, and planned and designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill
  
  
  
  • Will consist of 350 rental units with 20% affordable housing, plus retail and cultural spaces
  
  
  
  • Includes a new home for WBGO as well as an extension of Mulberry Street
  
  
  
  
  
  



• Cooperman Family Arts Education and Community Center
  
  
  
  
  
  • 58,000-square-foot facility designed by Weiss/Manfredi
  
  
  
  • Will serve as a hub for students, community partners and artists to gather, learn and create
  
  
  
  
  
  



• A major redesign of Chambers Plaza, designed by Future Green



• Essex County Green
  
  
  
  
  
  • The new added space will create a four-season urban park
  
  
  
  
  
  



• Renovations to 31 Mulberry Street
  
  
  
  
  
  • Recently acquired by NJPAC, the existing building adjacent to the Cooperman Center will house additional spaces for community gatherings, as well as educational and offices spaces for the Arts Center
  
  
  
  
  
  



• A redesign of NJPAC’s eastern faade, certain interiors and loading docks

 

'Acity of creativity'

“NJPAC’s campus redevelopment is more than a construction project; it’s a powerful investment in Newark’s communities and future,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “This initiative will not only provide more housing and commercial spaces, but also create vibrant cultural and educational opportunities that will enrich the lives of Newark residents for generations to come.”

The project came to fruition through a complex deal involving multiple partners and stakeholders as well as $200 million in Aspire tax credits from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) . Philanthropic support also came from major donors via NJPAC's $244 million Capital Campaign, completed in December. Support also includes a notable foundational gift from investment legend Leon Cooperman, Toby Cooperman and the Cooperman family for construction of the Cooperman Center.

“Ensuring young people have the best chances at their brightest futures is at the heart of our family’s giving,” said Leon Cooperman, chairman and CEO of Omega Family Office. “The Cooperman Center, a new home for so much of NJPAC’s Arts and Education and Community Engagement work, will be in serve to everyone, from infants to older adults. Newark is a city of creativity, and I believe the Center has a unique opportunity to contribute to its future.”

Anchoring activity

Opening the ceremony, NJPAC Chief Executive Officer John Schreiber spoke about how important the day was for his organization and the city more broadly.

“Today, we are celebrating the first major expansion of our campus since we opened our doors in 1997,” said Schreiber. “Today, we make good on our promise to be an effective, useful, engaged, and intentional anchor cultural institution grounded right here and committed to Newark and its ongoing, equitable, and inclusive development.”

“I’m excited about the project. We are trying to make this the center of gravity where people gravitate toward when they come to Newark in this area here between NJPAC and the Prudential Center,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka told reporters. “The housing and the residential spaces that are being built in this area are tremendous. It adds to what we are trying to do on the other side.”

Baraka stressed that Newark has always between steeped in the arts.

‘The new neighborhood around NJPAC will fully embrace that dynamic spirit, bringing more housing, stores, and gathering places to our already lively downtown,” said Baraka. “And one of the highest notes of all will be the new headquarters for our city’s iconic jazz station, WBGO.”

New opportunity

“When finished, this will be a fully reimagined and revitalized neighborhood designed with sustainability, equity, and community in mind,” said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial.

The Newark-based company is a key project partner, facilitating the master planning of the campus redesign and financing NJPAC’s predevelopment needs. Lowrey also serves as co-chair, with Carmen Villa , of the NJPAC board.

“This project will reshape this entire neighborhood; provide new housing and employment opportunities; and further cement NJPAC’s legacy and contribution to the city. We are thrilled to be part of NJPAC," Lowrey said, adding, "We are thrilled to be part of this project. And we are thrilled to say that Newark is our hometown.”

“As Newark goes, so goes the State of New Jersey,” said Murphy. “And under the Mayor’s and City Council President’s leadership, Newark is on fire. Today is a great example of that.”

“Newark is a city rich in history and possibilities, and NJPAC’s role as an active, engaged and productive anchor cultural institution in its future is an extraordinarily exciting one,” said Schrieber. “We’re grateful beyond measure to the remarkable coalition of partners, both public and private, who have collaborated with us to make this new neighborhood an exciting reality.”

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