These photos show the former Berg Hat Factory in Orange, which is being converted into the Hat City Lofts.
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Newark, New Jersey: One of Essex County's newest and largest supermarkets could receive a grant from the City of Newark.
Newark's Department of Economic and Housing Development is proposing that the ShopRite of Newark, which opened in the Central Ward's Springfield Avenue Marketplace in 2015, receive a $2 million grant. City documents show that the funding would come from the Community and Economic Development Dedicated Trust Fund, and would contribute to the $13,098,000 fit out and building costs of the 67,000 square foot market.
The resolution states in part that the City believes that the project "is vital and in the best interests of the City and that it promotes the health, safety, and welfare of the City's residents", and that "the entity [Newark ShopRite, LLC] was faced with a significant funding gap in connection with the project that must currently be bridged in order to make the project financially feasible". It adds that "the City has further determined it is in the best interest of the City to provide the grant to the entity...from the amounts deposited in the fund in accordance with this resolution".
The term of the grant agreement is slated to be ratified to October 17, 2013 when "construction force and machinery was mobilized for development", and will expire on October 14 of this year.
This announcement comes more than three years after $38 million in tax breaks were announced for the Springfield Avenue Marketplace project, according to WBGO.
During a special meeting today at 10:00am, the Newark Municipal Council is scheduled to vote on whether to ratify and authorize the proposal. The agenda for the meeting, which includes this resolution, was first posted online yesterday.
Essex County Place has reached out to the City of Newark and ShopRite of Newark owner Neil Greenstein for comment regarding the reason for the grant, and this article will be updated should officials respond.
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These photos show the South Orange Village Hall, which is slated to be converted into a restaurant and beer garden.
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Newark, New Jersey: A massive new mixed-use development could be coming to several properties in Newark's Central Ward.
City records show that Claremont Properties, Inc., of Far Hills, Somerset County, is planning a new project with office, retail, collegiate space, parking, and potential other uses on 17 lots along Central Avenue, Dey Street, and Lock Street in University Heights. All of the lots are currently owned by the City of Newark and are used for a variety of purposes. While some, such as 37 Lock Street, are vacant tracts, other properties like 23 Lock Street contain faculty and staff parking lots for the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). Around the corner, a large building, a garage, and a parking lot used by the Newark Department of Water and Sewer Utilities' divisions of water supply and sewers occupy the premises.
The Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development is proposing that the properties, which "are no longer needed for public use", be sold to Claremont for the negotiated price of $2.794 million. The Newark Municipal Council will vote on the proposal during its meeting tomorrow at City Hall at 10:00am.
This announcement comes at a time of increasing development in University Heights, with several new projects rising along nearby Sussex Avenue. The site is directly across the street from University Centre, and is just yards away from the NJIT campus. A few blocks away, developers are seeking a new retail building or fast food restaurant. Plus, Netta Architects posted renderings last year of a potential development in conjunction with the Newark Housing Authority at the corner of Central Avenue and Lock Street.
Claremont was the contractor for projects like Third and Valley in South Orange and the Baxter Park apartments in the Central Ward. In addition, 832 Broad Street, LLC, the new owner of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey's Lafayette Street Terminal building in Downtown is registered out of the same Far Hills address as Claremont.
Essex County Place has reached out to the City of Newark and Claremont Properties for comment regarding the developments, and this report will be updated should officials respond.
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The Newark Sunday Call's last issue was printed in 1946, but this sign remains atop its former headquarters along Halsey Street in Downtown Newark.
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The South Orange Fire Department Headquarters building has stood in the village's downtown for 91 years.
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This sign for Coleman Small Business College is one of the largest 'ghost signs' in Newark.
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Newark, New Jersey: Thousands came to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart near Branch Brook Park in Newark on Friday to witness the installation of Joseph Cardinal Tobin as the sixth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, which includes the Northern New Jersey counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union.
Governor Chris Christie, First Lady Mary Pat Christie, and Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura were among the attendees of the service, causing there to be no shortage of security in the area, with dozens of officers present both in the church and in the surrounding neighborhood from the Newark Police Department, the Essex County Sheriff's Office, and the New Jersey State Police.
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Above: Sheriff Armando Fontoura and Archbishop Tobin
Above: Governor Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie meet Archbishop Tobin
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West Orange, New Jersey: Several regional antique dealers have found a home at a new business in West Orange.
Valley Vintage recently opened a new showroom at 168 South Valley Road in the township, at the corner of Meeker Street, near the South Orange and West Orange borders. The business is owned by Elyse Alfandre, and features items sold by around 20 dealers, including jewelry, clothing, collectible items, postcards of local landmarks, and furniture. Some of the dealers previously sold items at the Somerville Antiques Center in Somerset County, which closed in July after 20 years.
The building, located near the Valley Arts District, was previously occupied by Associated Air Products.
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Soon, after staying shut for over 20 years, the front entrance of The Newark Museum will be utilized again. Museum director Steven Kern told Essex County Place that reopening the door will "reengage sidewalk traffic", and that it "sends a symbol that the museum is back and open for everybody". According to Kern, the new entranceway will be named in honor of Louis Bamberger, best known for owning Bamberger's Department Store and for helping to fund the museum's construction.
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