The 10-year blueprint received a unanimous confirmation, Mayor Ras Baraka announced Sept. 27. According to him, the effort included nearly two years of community engagement, "the most wide-ranging and inclusive outreach the city has ever undertaken.”

A team from NAI James E. Hanson has handled leasing at the 726,525-square-foot complex since late 2019, the same year the property was acquired by Turnbridge Equities.

The hard tech accelerator from Princeton-based venture capital firm SOSV, which announced it would set up shop in the city last year, will reside in a 35,000-square-foot-space. The program is expected to create 2,500 high-paying jobs in addition to attracting millions in new capital.

The 5-acre project is the result of a first-of-its-kind restoration settlement with federal natural resources trustees to mitigate obligations associated with damages resulting from legacy contamination.

The Carlstadt-based company broke ground on its latest Vermella community in the state's largest city, which will bring nearly 300 units and 40,000 square feet of amenities within walking distance of the Broad Street station.

PromisePay is immediately available for residents who owe money on their accounts, and Mayor Ras Baraka says if successful, the initiative could become a long-term option for those in need.

Executive Vice President and COO Barbara Kauffman has been with the Newark Regional Business Partnership for 34 years, starting as a project manager for the group’s predecessor organization, RNI.

During a ceremony commemorating Juneteenth, Mayor Ras Baraka announced the plaza's official renaming to Harriet Tubman Square and detailed plans for the area, which was created “to enhance the downtown arts and educational institutions, galleries, parks, public art and restaurants that contribute to the city’s cultural legacy and inclusive economic development.”

“We look at it as a bridge that’s going to connect the city as a whole. The bridge is a connector for the tourists and commuters, [connecting] our neighborhoods, defining the connection to our downtown and Mulberry Commons,” said Newark Deputy Mayor Allison Ladd.

The former NBA star was on hand in his hometown to unveil a refurbished basketball court at 400 Hawthorne Ave., part of the Comebaq Court initiative launched by the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation and Icy Hot.

“Our mission was to create a sustainable and safe outdoor space for our young students,” said Sam Crane of the Maher Charitable Foundation. The work to achieve that goal, sparked by a group of nonprofits, was aided by efforts from New Brunswick's DIGroup Architecture and Jersey City's Dresdner Robin.

“This is an exciting day for the City of Newark, University Hospital and the State of New Jersey as this innovative hospital and housing partnership designed to help our most vulnerable populations moves forward,” Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver said at an event celebrating the laying of the foundation for the project coming to a portion of the city's Georgia King Village. “There is a direct correlation between limited access to health care and homelessness and these new supportive housing rental units with access to a full-service health clinic are going to help break the cycle of homelessness in Newark.”