New $77M court building in Newark named after Martin Luther King, Jr. – NJ.com

A new $77 million building along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Newark that houses 11 new courtrooms and offices for elections officials opened on Thursday.

The facility is called the Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building and a 22-foot statue of the late civil rights activist stands outside the structure. Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr. said naming the structure after King was a natural fit since it’s located next to a plaza and a smaller statue that was dedicated to him in 2015.

“We built this building here,” said DiVincenzo. “And the only thing you could call it was Dr. Martin Luther King.”

The third and fourth floors of the building will house courtrooms for tax and general equity courts, which were formerly located in the Wilentz Justice Complex on Washington Street. The first and second floors will have offices for the Essex County clerk, superintendent of elections, board of elections, surrogate and the board of taxation.

Each office participated in the design of their new workspaces, which were formerly located in the Essex County Hall of Records next door to the new building. The workspaces are all larger than their previous locations.

County, state and federal leaders attended the unveiling Thursday and sat on the roadway outside of the courthouse where artists painted the words “abolish white supremacy” last summer after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, a Black father.

And while activists have been re-evaluating what justice means in that year, multiple elected officials said King’s namesake for the building was fitting.

Gov. Phil Murphy said naming the building after King was a step in the direction of gaining equality. Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver also said King “would be proud” of the project.

“Just over a year since the murder of George Floyd, we are on that long road to pursue equality and justice,” said Murphy. “And this building – in the name of an American hero unlike any other – is a huge step forward in that direction.”

New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said the building’s size, use of space and technology show respect for people who need to use the courts.

“They’ll be in awe of its beauty, of its grandeur and (it’s) inspired by the namesake, the giant, whose very name itself evokes thoughts of justice, of fairness, of equality – of which every justice system has at its core,” said Rabner.

The King statue that sits outside of the new building is made out of bronze and sits on an 8-foot-tall granite pedestal. It was created by Jay Warren, from Oregon, who also sculpted the smaller King statue that sat outside the neighboring county Hall of Records. The smaller statue was moved to the back of the new building.

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools,” the engraving on the pedestal reads, quoting King. “But I know somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars. I have decided to stick with love, hate is too great a burden to bear. Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”

Debra Salters, a Newark resident and activist, told NJ Advance Media it was high time that King’s life was honored in a larger-than-life way.

“The little statue that they had here, didn’t really do him justice,” said Salters. “I think it’s about time that they did something magnanimous because his life is magnanimous.”

A bronze bust of the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis, who represented Georgia and died last year, is also on the first floor of the new building. It was also created by Warren.

Comito Associates, a Newark-based engineering company, designed the building after it was awarded a $2.2 million contract. Dobco Inc., from Wayne, was awarded a contract to build the structure for $72.8 million. About $2 million went to Lambertville-based Joseph Jingoli and Son, Inc. for construction management and inspection services, the county said in a release.

The project was funded through Essex County’s capital budget. Construction started in May 2020 and was completed in 13 months.

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Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com.