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NJPAC Breaks Ground On $336 Million Campus Redevelopment in Newark, New Jersey

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has broken ground on $336 million mixed-use campus redevelopment in Newark, New Jersey. Designed by multiple architects including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the 12-acre master plan involves the construction of two new buildings along with the renovation of two existing structures, and will yield mixed-income housing, community center space, and a new public park. The site is bound by Rector Street to the north, the intersection of Mulberry Street and Kitchell Place to the south, McCarter Highway and the NJPAC-Center Street light rail stop to the east, and Park Place to the west.

The groundbreaking was celebrated on Wednesday, September 18 by representatives of the development team, project stakeholders, and public officials including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

The residential component, seen in the main photo, is known as ArtSide and will yield 350 units with 20 percent reserved for affordable housing. Developed by LMXD and MCI Collective, the structure will rise from the site currently occupied by NJPAC’s Parking Lot A and will also include ground-floor retail space and restaurants, as well as a new home for Newark’s public jazz radio station WBGO. A new public park will be constructed in front of ArtSide, and the existing Chambers Plaza beside the NJPAC will be redesigned by landscape architect Future Green. The new park will be named Essex County Green in recognition of a $5 million grant from the county.

NJPAC’s eastern façade, loading docks, and portions of its interiors will also be revamped.

The complex is located within walking distance of Newark Penn Station, offering access to PATH trains, New Jersey Transit buses and trains, Amtrak, and the Newark Light Rail system.

Construction on the NJPAC campus is slated to conclude in fall 2027.

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NYY