COUNTY OF ESSEX, CITY OF NEWARK AND PORT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCE JOINT VENTURE TO BUILD PUBLIC PARKING DECK
New Facility will Provide Needed Parking Spaces for Commuters and Downtown Visitors
Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., Newark Mayor Sharpe James and Port Authority Chairman Tony Coscia announced Tuesday, October 28th that a three-story, 365-space public parking deck would be constructed adjacent to Essex County’s Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium as the result of a joint venture between Essex County, the City of Newark and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
“There is a lot of activity in the Downtown business district and major transportation and infrastructure improvements currently underway or in the planning stages will allow Essex County and Newark to strengthen our roles as destinations for business, cultural arts and leisure,” DiVincenzo said. “The proximity of the public parking deck to the Broad Street Train Station and the anticipated light rail line will be beneficial for commuters and visitors coming to Newark’s Downtown Business District,” he added.
The public parking deck will be built on a paved surface parking lot on Bridge Street that currently is used by Newark Bears’ players and staff and is nearby to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and headquarters of several major corporations. The new deck will provide much-needed spaces for commuters and visitors coming to Newark’s Downtown Business District and parking for fans attending events at the stadium.
“This public parking deck is an absolute necessity for the City of Newark. The rise of revitalized and refurbished office space in our downtown has created opportunities for business growth and brought more and more commuters into Newark,” Newark Mayor Sharpe James said. “This facility will accommodate both workers and their employers, as well as patrons and employees at the stadium. The construction of this public parking deck will continue Newark’s and Essex County’s economic growth and is a win-win situation for the county, the city, the stadium and our business community,” he added.
“This new public parking deck is an important part of Governor McGreevey’s goal to encourage more people to use public transportation and reduce traffic congestion to allow residents to spend less time in their cars and more time with their families,” Port Authority Chairman Anthony R. Coscia said. “It also supports economic growth in New Jersey’s largest city by encouraging visitors to shop, see a show or visit one of Newark’s fine restaurants,” he added.
According to the agreement, Essex County and Newark will be responsible for designing, building and maintaining the public parking facility and the Port Authority will provide $6 million to help fund the project.
“This is a great project that will bring much-needed parking to the Downtown area and, at the same time, make it easier for patrons to attend events at the stadium,” said Freeholder President Johnny Jones, who noted that having the Port Authority agreeing to pay 75 percent of the cost to build the parking facility is “icing on the cake.” He added the remaining cost will be split between Essex County and Newark.
The stadium is centered between two significant transportation improvement projects. On one side is McCarter Highway/Route 21, which currently is being widened. On the other side is the proposed light rail link in the North Broad Street area that will provide access from Newark’s Downtown to Newark Liberty International Airport and beyond. A station for the rail link is planned to be at the stadium. Also nearby is the Broad Street Train Station that offers direct train service to New York City. The Commissioners of the Port Authority adopted a resolution in July announcing their initiative to support the development of parking facilities for commuters who may or may not utilize Port Authority facilities.
“We must do all we can to promote the use of mass transportation to reduce vehicle emissions that are harmful to our environment and reduce the amount of traffic on our congested roadways,” DiVincenzo said. “Our new parking facility will be ideally situated near highways and rail lines, and fits nicely into the Port Authority’s commuter goals. I am glad Essex County, Newark and the Port Authority shared our plans and are able work cooperatively,” he added.
“Having a parking deck located next to the stadium goes a long way to increase the accessibility for fans coming to cheer on the Newark Bears,” said Steve Kalafer, owner of the Newark Bears. “Essex County and the City of Newark have been very supportive of our baseball club and this is another example of their efforts to make sure we have a first class stadium facility,” he added.
The architectural firm of Fay, Spofford & Thorndike has been hired by Essex County to design the public parking facility. The construction bid documents for the project were made public Monday, October 27th. The facility will be completed sometime in 2004. DiVincenzo added that he plans to meet with NJ Transit officials to discuss having the public parking deck designated as an official park-and-ride facility.
A similar commuter parking deck is being constructed adjacent to Essex County’s South Mountain Arena in West Orange. Essex County has partnered with the New Jersey Department of Transportation to build that facility.