Newark Civic Center

This LEED Silver certified, design-build project transforms an existing administration building into a revitalized civic campus featuring a new, accessible city hall, library expansion, and state-of-the-art police building. The new city hall provides larger public spaces and consolidates city administrative services on two floors instead of the 8-story, vertically configured predecessor. Stained glass from the 1960s-era tower was repurposed into the façade of the new city hall. The library is roughly 10,000-sf larger than its predecessor and offers separate areas for teens and kids, in addition to a large meeting space and a maker space. The new police building consolidates all station operations in one building and includes an emergency dispatch center and training facility.

A large public plaza in the center of the civic center connects the new buildings. The plaza incorporates a variety of paving materials in an ample open space for public gatherings. A long seat wall, with wood backs, separates the paved area from a large, landscaped area that incorporates a bioretention area for stormwater treatment. A large oak tree sits as the centerpiece of the plaza. Other site improvements included an expansion of the public parking lot for the civic center, with 211 total parking spaces. Sustainable features including electric vehicle chargers and long-term bicycle parking were incorporated for use by the public and staff. A wide drop-off turnaround is also located adjacent to the public plaza, providing access to all three buildings. A secure parking lot for police staff accommodating 75 vehicles was also provided. Improvements to the public right-of-way included 1,300-linear feet of new sidewalk along Thornton Ave, Newark Blvd, and Civic Terrace Ave. A new traffic signal and turn lane was constructed on Thornton Ave to access the secure police parking lot.