Anyone who has lived in Newark or maybe has passed through in the last 10 years cannot deny that Newark is definitely a city in the midst of a “Renaissance”. The great new downtown Gateway towers are stunning examples of the state’s largest office complex. Across Raymond Boulevard is the pink and blue Legal Center. The new PSE&G tower is being closed in by the march of new buildings up Raymond Boulevard. Newark Center incorporates both Seton Hall Law School and a commercial structure, and One Penn Center adds a stunning southern anchor to the complex.
Around the city, rehabilitation and adaptive conversions have taken place at St. Joseph’s Plaza, the old Gibraltar Building of the Prudential, and the former Two Guys Department Store. Those conversions continue with the former Macy’s and Haynes buildings, which are being converted for multiple-tenant retail use. Small business establishments are refacing their facades. Newark Airport has become one of the nation’s, busiest and most important international air centers. A $375 million Monorail now links the terminals to the parking lots (plans are proposed to link the monorail with the downtown areas of both Elizabeth and Newark). The universities and colleges are expanding and bringing national recognition to the community, and the newly refurbished Newark Museum is proving to be a major cultural asset. Launching its second century of service to the city, the Newark Public Library has greatly improved its facilities and opened an Information Technology Center for public training and use.
Our Community Development Corporation Next Dimensions, a 501 (C) 3 organization, is collaborating in this endeavor to partner with the City of Newark’s Master Plan. The residents of the West Ward will have a venue to meet their Spiritual and Social needs. Next Dimensions CDC would like to capture the spirit of the Renaissance that the city of Newark has been experiencing and bring it a little closer to home for some of the residents of Newark. The West Ward of Newark is a multicultural, multiracial mosaic whose population reflects the diversity and the challenges of urban America.
A closer look at the demographics of the community helps define the face and the needs of neighborhood residents. Educational levels within the population as a whole are low – 55% have not completed high school. At the other end of the spectrum, only 5% have completed college and 2.5% hold graduate degrees. Employment is concentrated within lower-paying sectors and 25% of households are below the poverty level. This figure is substantially higher – 58% – for female-headed households. A combination of these factors — low levels of education, high rates of poverty, limited literacy and a limited work history – characterize a large percentage of the population of the West Ward. These same factors are all barriers to healthy family development in the community. Children, particularly young children, often do not have the kind of family support that is essential to their social and academic progress in school and to their success later in life.
Next Dimensions CDC understands the barriers and challenges that these families face. For the residents of the West Ward community development is a process. This process must be sustainable, socially just, and comprehensive, encompassing a variety of activities such as neighborhood planning, affordable housing, commercial and real estate development, physical revitalization, industrial development, employment and training, job creation, education, leadership development and community building. The Next Dimensions Community Development Corporation Inc. was established in 1996 to serve the residents and community of Newark by bringing business, educational and housing opportunities in order to renew the economic, social and health status of the community.
Next Dimensions CDC is excited about moving our Headquarters to its new home. Newark has carefully been selected because of its proximity to two major roadways: Interstate 280 and the Garden State Parkway. This positioning will promote a rebirth of this area and will assist the city of Newark and the mayor in their quest to stabilize the city’s business environment and encourage more businesses to return to suburban Newark.