Mulberry Commons

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View of Mulberry Commons to Gateway and Ironside (2019)
Mulberry Commons with Ironside and Prudential Center


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.

Background[edit]

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).

Mulberry Commons Pedestrian Bridge[edit]

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]

  • Former CNJ bridge over the NEC
    Former CNJ bridge over the NEC
  • Overview of footbridge bridge site (2018)
    Overview of footbridge bridge site (2018)
  • Footbridge and station entrance seen from the Commons
    Footbridge and station entrance seen from the Commons
  • Bridge and station entrance site seen from Newark Penn
    Bridge and station entrance site seen from Newark Penn
  • Bridge site as seen from Ironbound
    Bridge site as seen from Ironbound

History of site and land acquisition[edit]

Chinatown[edit]

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]

Central Railroad of New Jersey[edit]

New Jersey Central tracks crossed over former Pennsylvania Railroad & now Amtrak NJ Transit Northeast Corridor tracks

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]

Park proposals[edit]

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]

2018

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]

Redevelopment in the area[edit]

Ironside Newark[edit]

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]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Mulberry Commons Park".
  2. ^ a b c d Giambusso, David (July 5, 2011). "After 5 years, $12M spent, Newark Triangle Park project remains a parking lot". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  3. ^ Patterson, Mary Jo (February 13, 2009). "Redevelopment Lagging Near Newark's Arena". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  4. ^ Pollock, Sarah (March 22, 2011). "Prudential Center yet to deliver on Newark revitalization". NJ.com. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  5. ^ Rigby, Sian. "Open Space - Newark CEDC". www.NewarkCEDC.org. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Edison Properties and the Newark Department of Economic & Housing Development Announce Redevelopment Plans to Create Newark's Triangle Park". PRWeb (Press release). March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  7. ^ "Transformative Mulberry Commons project breaks ground in Newark". ROI-NJ.com. October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  8. ^ "Newark, Devils start work on long-awaited, $10M downtown park". NJ.com. October 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  9. ^ Kofsky, Jared (May 31, 2019). "First Phase of Newark's Mulberry Commons Park Finally Completed".
  10. ^ Cruz, David (September 19, 2023). "New pedestrian bridge will link Newark neighborhoods". NJ Spotlight News.
  11. ^ Ginsburg, Aaron (September 20, 2023). "High Line-style pedestrian bridge to link Newark Penn Station and Prudential Center". 6sqft.
  12. ^ Cooper, Robertson & Partners, A. Nelessen Associates, Schoor Depalma (August 6, 2004). "Newark Downtown Core District Redevelopment Plan and Amendment to the Newark Plaza Urban Renewal Plan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Resolution H-11-23-06-12" (PDF). Newark Housing Authority. June 23, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  14. ^ Ivers, Dan (March 10, 2016). "After 10 years and $42M, Newark set to break ground on downtown park". NJ.com. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  15. ^ Ras Baraka (March 9, 2016). "Redevelopment Plans to Create Newark's Triangle Park". New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Request for Qualifications LANDSCAPE DESIGN SERVICES FOR TRIANGLE PARK" (PDF). Newark Community Economic Development Corporation. March 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  17. ^ "A Commons for All: Vanguard Newark's Big Idea Challenge". nextcity.org.
  18. ^ "Newark Arena Project Area Review" (PDF). City of Newark. August 7, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  19. ^ "Parking for Newark". ParkFast. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  20. ^ a b c Carter, Barry (September 22, 2010). "Newark's historic commission upset over demolition of buildings". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  21. ^ Lyons, Richard D. (April 2, 1989). "POSTINGS: Building Up Newark; 33-Story Tower". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  22. ^ "Triangle Park Master Plan" (PDF). 4ward Planning. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  23. ^ "Resolution R-08-01-24-31" (PDF). Newark Housing Authority. January 23, 2008.
  24. ^ "Resolution R-08-09-25-05" (PDF). Newark Housing Authority. September 25, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  25. ^ "Resolution H-11-24-03-13" (PDF). Newark Housing Authority. March 24, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  26. ^ Flynn, Gerard (December 19, 2014). "Can The Guy Who Helped Waste Millions In Newark Help Save NYC Public Housing?". Gothamist. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  27. ^ a b Nix, Naomi (February 24, 2015). "Newark council approves Triangle Park project with retail potential". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  28. ^ "Triangle Park will be called 'Mulberry Commons.' What we learned about the transformative project planned for downtown". BrickCityLive.com. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  29. ^ Lyanne (February 9, 2015). "Triangle Park (Newark's newest proposed park in Downtown) inches forward". Glocally Newark. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  30. ^ "Edison Properties Hotel". Emporis. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  31. ^ "Newark and New York Branch over NJ21" (PDF). New Jersey Historic Bridge Data. NJDOT. 2001. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  32. ^ McDermott, Maura P. (October 17, 2007). "Newark goes all out to assure arena visitors' safe passage". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  33. ^ Bonamo, Mark (February 3, 2015). "Fireworks set to go off at Newark council meeting about Triangle Park project". PolitickerNJ. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  34. ^ Nix, Naomi (February 8, 2015). "Passive recreation or retail center: Developers, council struggle over Newark's Triangle Park project". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  35. ^ Nix, Namoi (February 19, 2015). "Newark city council delays final vote on Triangle Park legislation". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  36. ^ "Resolution H-13-15-25-04-12" (PDF). Newark Housing Authority. April 25, 2011.
  37. ^ Bonamo, Mark (February 17, 2015). "Baraka on Newark's Triangle Park project: "We need ratables"". PolitickerNJ. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  38. ^ "Triangle park moves ahead despite differing views". glocallynewark.com. February 25, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  39. ^ "Newark's Triangle Park Project Moves Forward". Essex County Place. March 9, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  40. ^ "Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Edison Properties and the Newark Department of Economic & Housing Development Announce Redevelopment Plans to Create Newark's Triangle Park". PR Web. March 9, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  41. ^ "Updated: Edison Properties, Baraka break ground on Mulberry Commons - NJBIZ". NJBiz.com. October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  42. ^ "Newark Warehouse Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  43. ^ Levitt, David M. (May 9, 2017). "Newark's First Speculative Office Project in 30 Years Unveiled". Bloomberg. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  44. ^ Strunsky, Steve (May 9, 2017). "Swinging a sledgehammer, Newark mayor helps launch warehouse redevelopment". NJ.com. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  45. ^ Bergeron, Tom (November 9, 2018). "Edison Properties makes it official: It's moving its HQ to Ironside Newark". ROI-NJ.
  46. ^ Strauss, Eric (January 24, 2019). "Second law firm is latest office tenant to commit to Ironside Newark". ROI-NJ.
  47. ^ Bergeron, Tom (November 15, 2023). "McKinsey bringing more than 700 to Ironside Newark in consolidation of N.J. workforce". ROI-NJ.
  48. ^ Yi, Karen (March 7, 2019). "City agrees to lease back parking lot for $27M that it sold for $1". nj.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  49. ^ Yi, Karen (February 13, 2019). "City sold property for $1. Now it wants to rent it back for $27M". nj.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  50. ^ "777 McCarter Highway, Newark - 1406455 - EMPORIS". www.emporis.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  51. ^ Yi, Karen (August 8, 2018). "Shaq will live in the N.J. penthouse of the new 33-story tower he's building". nj.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  52. ^ "Newark Plaza Tower - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.

40°43′59″N 74°10′3″W / 40.73306°N 74.16750°W / 40.73306; -74.16750

External links[edit]

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