Thursday, January 8, 2015

Urban Essex Coalition to Host Forum on Mixed-Use Developments


The Urban Essex Coalition for Smart Growth will host a forum regarding the potential to build mixed-use residential and commercial buildings near five Essex County train stations in Newark, East Orange, and Orange. The areas include the neighborhoods surrounding Highland Avenue, Orange, Brick Church, East Orange, and Newark Broad Street Stations on the New Jersey Transit Morris and Essex Lines. In addition to train service, each of the five stations are served by buses, and Newark Broad Street Station is a terminal on the Newark Light Rail system.

The forum, 'Creating Great Places in Essex County's Urban Transit Corridor', is scheduled to take place on January 20 from 10:00am to 12:00pm. Mayors of each of the three municipalities, Ras Baraka of Newark, Lester Taylor of East Orange, and Dwayne Warren of Orange, will speak at the forum. Other speakers include Patrick Morrissy of non-profit revitilization group Hands, Inc., Harriet Tregoning of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Jim Kennedy, the former mayor of Rahway, Union County. Several mixed-use developments have been completed near Rahway's train station within the past decade.

One mixed-use and mixed-income development was recently completed near the Orange Train Station at 50 and 55 South Essex Avenue. Another development will be constructed across the tracks at Tony Galento Plaza.

The form will take place in Newark at the New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority Board Room at One Newark Center on the 17th floor. Light refreshments will be served. To register, email info@urbanessexcoalition.org.



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(File Photo of the Newark Broad Street Station)