In Newark, N.J., the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has broken grown on the three-year, $336 million redevelopment of its 12-acre campus.
The project will provide downtown Newark 350 mixed-income residential units, along with shops, restaurants, outdoor gathering spaces, and an education and community center with professional rehearsal spaces.
Scheduled for completion in fall 2027, the reimagined campus will include ArtSide, a mixed-use, mixed-income residential complex. Developed by NJPAC, LMXD, and MCI Collective, and planned and designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill, ArtSide will offer 350 rental units, 20% of them affordable housing. ArtSide also will provide retail and cultural spaces, including a new home for public radio station WBGO. The project will extend Mulberry Street on what is currently an NJPAC parking lot.
Designed by Weiss/Manfredi, the 58,000-sf Cooperman Family Arts Education and Community Center will serve as a hub for students, artists, and community partners and will be built on another NJPAC parking lot.
NJPAC’s redesigned front yard, Chambers Plaza, and a new space, Essex County Green, will form an outdoor urban park. Future Green designed the new Chambers Plaza.
OCA Architects will design renovations of 31 Mulberry Street, a building that NJPAC recently acquired. The building will house more space for community gatherings, as well as educational and office spaces for NJPAC.
In addition, some of NJPAC’s interiors, along with its eastern façade and loading docks, will be redesigned.
“This initiative will not only provide more housing and commercial spaces, but also create vibrant cultural and educational opportunities that will enrich the lives of Newark residents for generations to come,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement.
The project’s partners include the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), which granted the project $200 million in tax credits under the Transformative Aspire Program.
Since opening in 1997, NJPAC has welcomed more than 12 million visitors. It’s among the largest performing arts centers in the country.
Related Stories
Performing Arts Centers | Apr 25, 2017
The ‘Chrysalis’ brings 5,000 sf of outdoor performance space to Maryland’s Merriweather Park
The stage is covered with a curving steel and aluminum-shingled shell.
Performing Arts Centers | Mar 6, 2017
An oval defines the Frank Gehry-designed Pierre Boulez Saal concert hall
The hall hosted its debut concert on Saturday, March 4 with a performance by the Boulez Ensemble.
Performing Arts Centers | Jan 17, 2017
This reimagined Globe Theatre is created primarily with shipping containers
The Container Globe would be used for theater performances, live music, and as a sculpture garden.
Performing Arts Centers | Aug 31, 2016
Sydney Opera House scheduled for $200 million upgrade
Acoustical improvements will be made alongside upgrades in accessibility, efficiency, and flexibility.
Performing Arts Centers | Jun 16, 2016
Synagogues in Omaha and New York get new lives after intense reconstruction
The Omaha Conservatory of Music gets a new home in a temple. A fire leads to an ambitious rebuild for a NYC synagogue.
Performing Arts Centers | May 4, 2016
Diamond Schmitt unveils designs for Buddy Holly Hall performing arts center
The spacious and versatile complex can hold operas, plays, rock concerts, and conferences.
Cultural Facilities | May 4, 2016
World’s largest cultural center planned for Dubai
The Opera District will have a 2,000-seat theater and three residential complexes.
Performing Arts Centers | Apr 22, 2016
Construction begins on RUR Architecture’s Taipei Pop Music Center’s South Site
The designers believe the center, which will have performance areas, production spaces, and a hall of fame, will be the Hollywood of Asian Pop music.
Performing Arts Centers | Apr 1, 2016
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture’s The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare to begin construction this spring at Navy Pier
Among the unique design features is a movable set of structural audience “towers” that allows for directors and designers to create a space that works best for their specific performances.
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
