Mulberry Commons is an urban square and public park in Newark, New Jersey that opened in 2019. The Mulberry Commons Pedestrian Bridge broke ground in 2023.
Mulberry Commons is an urban square and public park in Newark, New Jersey that opened in 2019. The Mulberry Commons Pedestrian Bridge broke ground in 2023.
It was first proposed in 2005 to be the centerpiece of 22-acre (8.9 ha) of the city's Downtown surrounded by Gateway Center, Newark Penn Station, Government Center and Prudential Center, a 19,000 seat arena which opened in 2007. [1] The city had acquired the deed to the park land in conjunction with the construction of the arena, but the project had not been further developed. [2] [3] [4] [5]
In March 2016, Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced a request for proposal for the park design. [6] An official ground breaking ceremony took place October 2, 2017, [7] [8] and official opening of the first phase of the park took place May 30, 2019. [9] It includes a city square of 2.5 acres (1.0 ha).
Phase 2 of the park broke ground in 2023 as the Mulberry Commons Pedestrian Bridge, a footbridge of 0.5 miles (0.80 km) over McCarter Highway and the Northeast Corridor with direct access to the train platforms at Newark Penn Station. [10] Billed as the High Line of Newark, it will connect to Peter Francisco Park in the Ironbound, a neighborhood of the city known as "Little Portugal" and Little Brazil," which would be a link to Newark Riverfront Park. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [6] [16]
The park is near what was once the heart of Newark's Chinatown in the early 20th century. Only several hundred Chinese remain in the immediate area out of what were once thousands. [17]
The site was earlier the rail yard of the western terminus of the Central Railroad of New Jersey's Newark and New York Railroad until service was discontinued and was used as a parking lot operated by Edison Park Fast operations, which owns numerous lots in the city. [18] [2] [19] [20]
The park was originally called Triangle Park. The site is a parcel of approximately 3 acres (1.2 ha) in the shape of a triangle. [21] [20] It is situated within the larger block bounded by Edison Place, Lafayette Street, McCarter Highway and Mulberry Street. [22] [2] [20] The city acquired the land for the arena and park under the auspices of the Newark Downtown Core Redevelopment Corporation (NDCRC) for about $9.4 million in a series of complex purchase and transfer transactions with landowners Jose Lopez (a prominent local restaurateur) and Edison Properties, among others. [2] [23] [24] [25] The NDCRC was disbanded in April 2011 amid accusations of mismanagement. [26] The land was transferred to the Newark Housing Authority in February 2015. [27] [28] The park was first proposed to act as a city square for new residential and commercial buildings in the district. [29]
Edison Properties, which owns development sites on the periphery of the park, [30] had previous agreements with the city and proposed more a passive park with open space. It promoted the adaption of the former CNJ bridge [31] to pedestrian walkway footbridge over McCarter Highway, the Northeast Corridor rail tracks south of Penn Station, and NJ Railroad Avenue to the city's Ironbound neighborhood, with a projected timeline of 2007 and an estimated cost between $40-$60 million. [32]
In February 2015, the Municipal Council of Newark heard proposals for development of the park, which would change the original vision of the park and potential stakeholders. [33] [34] [35] The city had opted to work with Boraie Development (developers of 50 Rector Park), [36] which had a proposal that included retail and entertainment facilities. According to Mayor Ras J. Baraka, the development of a 125,000-square-foot passive park would cost the city about $200,000 to $300,000 a year to maintain. Baraka stated that it was "a very valuable piece of land" and should proceed with ratables. [37] [27] [38]
In March 2016, the city announced a new plan to build a 2.5-acre public park and a footbridge of 0.5 miles (0.80 km) with a direct connection to the train platforms at Newark Penn Station ending at a park in the Ironbound named for Peter Francisco. [16] Edison Properties as well as other stakeholders including the Prudential Center, the New Jersey Devils, and J&L Parking Corporation, have contributed funds and will oversee the development of the remaining acreage for commercial and residential uses. [39] [40] [41]
Ironside Newark, originally the Newark Warehouse Building, a 1907 Newark landmark also known as the Central Graphic Arts Building is located on the northeastern side of the park site backing Edison Place. [42] The first commercial project was the transformation of the building into Ironside Newark, following a design by Perkins Eastman. M&M Mars-Wrigley signed a lease in 2017 for several floors in the building for office space, with employees be relocated here from their Chicago headquarters. [43] [44] Edison Properties also located its headquarters there. [45] Two prominent law firms committed as well. [46] McKinsey & Company consolidated its New Jersey workforce at the building. [47]
The City of Newark Parking Authority constructed it headquarters and a five-story parking deck with 515 spaces with ground floor retail space, a cafe with outdoor seating and offices at the intersection of Mulberry and Green streets. [48] [49]
777 McCarter Highway, known as the Iqonic, is a 33 story, 400 ft (120 m) tall upscale residential building designed by Beyer Blinder Belle, one of the city's tallest, was approved by the city in 2018. [50] [51] [52]
Newark is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 311,549. The Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 304,960 for 2023, making it the 66th-most populous municipality in the nation.
The Ironbound is a neighborhood in the city of Newark in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a large working-class multi-ethnic community, covering about 4 square miles (10 km2). Historically, the area was called "Dutch Neck," "Down Neck," or simply "the Neck," for its location by a bend of the Passaic River. Part of Newark's East Ward, the Ironbound is directly east of Newark Penn Station and Downtown Newark, and south and west of the river. The neighborhood is connected by the Jackson Street Bridge over the river to Harrison and Kearny.
Newark Penn Station is an intermodal passenger station in Newark, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, Newark Penn Station is served by multiple rail and bus carriers, making it the seventh busiest rail station in the United States, and the fourth busiest in the New York City metropolitan area.
University Heights is a neighborhood in Newark in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is so named because of the four academic institutions located within its boundaries: Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), New Jersey Medical School (Rutgers) and Essex County College. In total, the schools enroll approximately 30,000 degree-seeking students.
Prudential Center is a multipurpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey, United States. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team. By 2023, it was among the top five concert venues worldwide by earnings. The arena is owned by Josh Harris and David Blitzer and operated through Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.
Established in April 1857, the Newark Police Department (NPD) is the primary law enforcement agency serving Newark, New Jersey and the largest municipal law enforcement agency in New Jersey. As of December 2017 the force had 1,146 officers.
Riverbank Park is a park in the Ironbound section of Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The park was opened in 1910 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1998. It is the smallest and one of the most heavily used parks in the Essex County Park System.
The Newark and New York Railroad was a passenger rail line that ran between Downtown Newark and the Communipaw Terminal at the mouth of the North River in Jersey City, bridging the Hackensack River and Passaic River just north of their mouths at the Newark Bay in northeastern New Jersey. The Central Railroad of New Jersey operated it from its opening in 1869. Though operations ended in 1946; portions remained in use until 1967.
One Theater Square is a mixed-use building in Newark, New Jersey. It is located across from Military Park and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, which inspired its name. Completed in 2018, it includes the first newly-constructed high rise apartment building to be built in the city in more than fifty years. It was designed by BLT Architects.
The Four Corners Historic District is the intersection of Broad and Market Streets in Newark, New Jersey. It is the site of the city's earliest settlement and the heart of Downtown Newark that at one time was considered the busiest intersection in the United States. The area that radiates twenty-two square blocks from the crossroads is a state and federal historic district.
Ras Jua Baraka is an American educator, author, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Baraka is the 40th and current mayor of Newark, New Jersey. First elected in the 2014 election, he was sworn into office on May 13, 2014, and was reelected in 2018 and 2022.
The Jackson Street Bridge is a bridge on the Passaic River between Newark and Harrison, New Jersey. The swing bridge is the 6th bridge from the river's mouth at Newark Bay and is 4.6 miles (7.4 km) upstream from it. Opened in 1903 and substantially rehabilitated in 1991 it is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places (ID#1274) and is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge was re-lamped in 2012.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Newark, New Jersey, United States.
The 2014 Newark mayoral election took place in Newark, the most populous city in New Jersey, on May 13, 2014. The race was characterized as a contest between two candidates, Ras Baraka and Shavar Jeffries, both from Newark's South Ward. Elections for all seats on the nine member Municipal Council of Newark also took place. Luis A. Quintana, who had become Mayor of Newark following the resignation of Cory Booker, did not seek the seat.
Edison Properties is a privately owned real estate holding and development firm based in Newark, New Jersey founded in 1956. The company has holdings in New Jersey, New York City, and Baltimore including many parking lots marketed under ParkFast and storage units marketed under Manhattan Mini Storage. The company is affiliated with the family-run Gottesman Real Estate Partners.
Newark Riverfront Park is a park and promenade being developed in phases along the Passaic River in Newark, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Essex County Park System. The park, expected to be 3 miles (4.8 km) long and encompass 30.5 acres (12.3 ha), is being created from brownfield and greyfield sites along the river, which itself is a Superfund site due to decades of pollution. It will follow the river between the Ironbound section along Raymond Boulevard and Downtown Newark along McCarter Highway. Announced in 1999, a groundbreaking took place in 2008, and the first phase of the park opened in 2012. It was the first time residents of the largest city in New Jersey have ever had public access to the river. Other segments of the park have subsequently opened, while others are being developed. The East Coast Greenway uses paths and roads along the park.
Halsey Street is a north-south street in Downtown Newark, New Jersey, which runs between and parallel to Broad Street and Washington Street. Halsey Street passes through the four of city's historic districts: James Street Commons at the north, the abutting Military Park and Four Corners and, after a two block break, Lincoln Park at the south.
Peter Francisco Park is a city square in Newark, New Jersey located adjacent to Newark Penn Station at the Five Corners in the city's Ironbound neighborhood. The park was established in 1966 by the Municipal Council of Newark.
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