New Jersey Future announces 2019 Smart Growth Awards winners

On Tuesday, New Jersey Future announced the seven project winners of its 2019 Smart Growth Awards.

The winners include four adaptive-reuse projects, a new youth center, a multi-municipal walking and cycling trail, and a master plan update focusing on accommodating future growth and sustainability.

“If there’s one theme running through all these winners, it’s connectivity,” said Andrew Hendry, the president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Utilities Association and a New Jersey Future trustee, who chaired the selection committee. “These projects connect housing to jobs, jobs to transit, youth to opportunity, residents to amenities, and a city to its future. While all the entries were worthy of consideration, these winners will truly be transformational well beyond their own footprints. Their awards are well deserved.”

The seven winners are as follows and will be honored at a celebration on June 5 at the Newark Museum:

Walker House, Newark: A landmarked Art Deco office building repurposed to bring new mixed-income housing to downtown.

Mercer County Community College, Trenton: Reactivation of a group of long-dormant buildings in an overlooked part of the city with amenities to serve students and residents.

Second Street Youth Center, Plainfield: The first new facility of its kind in more than a decade, constructed on formerly blighted land to provide services and support to families in a historically underserved neighborhood.

Lawrence-Hopewell Trail: The result of a volunteer collaboration among community leaders, area employers, and local residents the 22-mile trail will support walking and cycling.

People’s Bank Building, Passaic: Repurposing of a vacant Art Deco building into an office and retail anchor to catalyze job creation in a central location.

Hoboken Master Plan Re-examination Report and Land Use Element: The culmination of a year-long process to update the city’s guiding land-use documents to support growth, preservation and resilience initiatives over the next decade.

Ironside Newark, Newark: Transformation of a long-vacant warehouse into a 21st-century office and retail destination with direct connections to transit, open space and nearby attractions.