Newark Starts Planning For Future Of Port-Industrial District – Newark, NJ Patch

NEWARK, NJ — Mayor Ras Baraka says Newark is embarking on a planning process to create a shared vision for the city’s Port-Industrial District.

According to a statement from city officials, the Forward-Bound Doremus Plan will aim to balance the needs of industry, the environment and community while also positioning the city for “increased economic and environmental resilience” as the region prepares for a period of rapid growth.

Newark residents can learn more at a virtual launch presentation of the plan on Wednesday, Oct, 14 at 6 p.m. The 90-minute presentation will take place on Zoom and Facebook Live. It’s intended to introduce participants to the project goals, team, process, timeline and how to get involved.

“Our port area is essential to Newark’s economy,” Baraka said. “It provides thousands of jobs for residents, but it is also a major source of pollution causing serious illness in the nearby community. We are creating a comprehensive planning process that brings together residents, businesses, environmental leaders, city officials and other stakeholders to chart the future of the Doremus area. We can plan a future for the Port-Industrial District that is healthy, clean, and environmentally sustainable while strengthening economic vitality and preserving community values.”

According to city officials, a rethinking of how the Port District operates is necessary because:

  • Frequent and increasing flooding is causing disruption, health risks, and financial losses.
  • Pollution from trucks and other industrial sources is making people sick
  • There is a need to invest in aging infrastructure – road networks, sewer, rail, and electric.
  • The encroachment of industrial uses into residential areas has made it critical to better manage the interaction of industrial and non-industrial uses.
  • Rapid change in maritime shipping coupled with rapid loss of industrial land near the port make it necessary to rethink land uses.

The prime consultant for the Port-Industrial District Redevelopment Plan is WRT, an award-winning, national practice of planners, urban designers, architects, and landscape architects headquartered in Philadelphia, city officials said.

The planning process will advance in four phases between now and May 2021:

  • Phase 1: INITIATION – Project Launch + Existing Conditions Analysis (February – October 2020)
  • Phase 2: EXPLORATION – Issues and Opportunities + Concept Plans (November-December 2020)
  • Phase 3: VALIDATION – Plan Development (January-March 2021)
  • Phase 4: DOCUMENTATION – Draft and Final Redevelopment Plan (April – May 2021)

Information on how to access the project launch presentation via Zoom and the City of Newark Facebook page can be found here.