Newark Riverfront Parks March 10, 2009 Community Meeting

Goals of this meeting 1 SHARE OUR KNOWLEDGE about the Newark Riverfront Parks. 2 BUILD SUPPORT for Newark Riverfront Parks. 3 GATHER YOUR KNOWLEDGE & OPINIONS to inform park design.

Welcome/Introduction Design Discussion Where is the park? How do we get there? What can the park look like? What can we do at the park? How can we make this park a park for all Newarkers? General Questions and Comments Closing Project Schedule

Branch Brook Park North of I-280 Bears Stadium NJPAC Downtown Penn Station The Port Ironbound Riverbank Park

Creating Urban Open Space 5 Copyright The Trust for Public Land

Parks for People Newark Completed Projects Seven new playgrounds Mildred Helms Park Current Projects Nat Turner Park Jesse Allen Park Newark Riverfront Park 6 Copyright The Trust for Public Land

Mildred Helms Park Before After 7 Copyright The Trust for Public Land

Overview of Project Schedule FALL 2008 JAN MARCH 2009 MARCH 10, 2009 MARCH 2009 MARCH 31, 2009 APRIL MAY 2009 MAY 5, 2009 JUNE 2009 EARLY 2010 SITE SELECTION LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT SELECTION PROJECT KICK-OFF FIRST COMMUNITY MEETING (TODAY!) DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN OPTIONS SECOND COMMUNITY MEETING DEVELOPMENT OF FINAL DESIGN THIRD COMMUNITY MEETING DESIGN COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON PHASE ONE

The Riverfront That Newark Wants 1960 2008

1666 1800 1850 Newark came from the water.

1874

Cut off Blocked Barricaded Today, Newark is alienated from the water in almost every way.

Jobs Recreation Other What would it mean to go back to the water?

The Riverfront Today

Branch Brook Park North of I-280 Bears Stadium NJPAC Downtown Penn Station The Port Ironbound Riverbank Park

NORTH OF RT 280

Between I- 280 & NJPAC

NEAR NJPAC

IRONBOUND

Between Oxford & Chapel St

Riverfront Development Principles

Newark Riverfront Principles 1 BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER The revitalized riverfront will bring people from Newark and beyond to the water. It will catalyze new communities and strengthen existing ones. It will provide a symbol of a unified Newark.

Newark Riverfront Principles 2 HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT The revitalized riverfront will grow from and enhance the ecological health of the Passaic River.

Newark Riverfront Principles 3 NEWARK HISTORY & NEWARK CULTURE The revitalized riverfront will be unique to Newark and reflect its history and culture. It will celebrate and commemorate the physical and social history of Newark, from the Morris Canal to the first African-American mosque in North America.

Newark Riverfront Principles 4 JOBS & ECONOMY The revitalized riverfront will spur economic activity in Newark and create career possibilities for Newarkers.

Newark Riverfront Principles 5 POSITIVE IMAGE The revitalized riverfront will attract the attention and admiration of the region and the country to Newark.

Newark Riverfront Principles 6 AFFORDABLE The revitalized riverfront will be affordable to build and maintain.

Newark Riverfront Principles 7 EASY TO VISIT The revitalized riverfront will be easy to visit.

Newark Riverfront Principles 8 SAFE The revitalized riverfront will be safe.

Newark Riverfront Principles 1 BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER 2 HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT 3 NEWARK HISTORY & NEWARK CULTURE 4 JOBS & ECONOMY 5 POSITIVE IMAGE 6 AFFORDABLE 7 EASY TO VISIT 8 SAFE

Site selection for Phase One Park 1. PUBLICLY OWNED 2. AVAILABLE FOR IMPROVEMENT 3. DESIGNATED FOR PARK USE

Phase One Park

Phase One Park site

ADVOCACY PLAN BY IRONBOUND COMMUNITY CORPORATION

Lee Weintraub Landscape Architect

Get involved + Contact Damon Rich, Waterfront Planner (973) 733-5918 richda@ci.newark.nj.us + Leave your email and address on sign-in sheet. Thank you.

Design Workshop 1 Where is the park? How do we get there? What could the park look like? PLEASE TELL US How you would get to the park Site conditions we missed Reactions to design ideas

Where Will The Park Be?

View looking east from Jackson Street Bridge Where Will The Park Be?

How Do We Get There?

Site Challenges and Opportunities

North facing site/hard edge Access from/under bridge/across Raymond Blvd. Site gradient/soft edge Site Challenges and Opportunities

Historic Maps/Photos/Proposals

Design Workshop 2 What can we do at the park? PLEASE TELL US What activities will bring you to the new park!

Potential Park Activities Programs contained in ICC Gateway Park plan: Amphitheatre for concerts, classes, cultural events Croquet Biking Walkway Picnics Shade structure Water feature Community mural area Boat launch / boat rental & education Potential Program

Clockwise from top left: Steps to water, India Steps to water, India Lakeshore edge, Chicago Waterfront edge, Frankfurt Serpentine steps, Cincinnati Precedents and Possibilities

Clockwise from top left: Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston Oslo Opera House Norway Utzon Sidney Opera House Sidney, Australia Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain Precedents and Possibilities

Clockwise from top left: Swimming Pool Barge Paris, France Peter Jay Sharp Boat House NY, NY NYC Swimming Pool NY, NY Robert Smithson Barge Science Barge Yonkers, NY Precedents and Possibilities

Clockwise from top left: Toronto Waterfront Park Allegheny River Pittsburgh, PA Waterplace Basin Amphitheater Providence, RI Parque do Tejo Lisbon, Portugal Precedents and Possibilities

Clockwise from top left: Martin Puryear Light Pylon Financial Center, NY, NY Washington Monument, DC Waterfire, Providence, RI Indianapolis Canal Indianapolis, IN Precedents and Possibilities

What is a CSO? Combined Sewer Overflow Program of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority DRY WEATHER: During dry weather, CSOs do not discharge into bodies of water. Their flows are carried to treatment facilities. Some older sewer systems, like Boston's, have "combined" sewers that carry both storm water and sewage flows together. During heavy rains, when flows sometimes double and even triple, these systems can become overloaded. Combined Sewer Systems (CSOs) are designed to act as relief points. They discharge excess flows upstream from sewage treatment plants, into the nearest body of water, to prevent backups into homes and area streets. Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea and Somerville have combined sewer systems that connect to MWRA's sewer system. Boston Harbor and the Charles and Mystic Rivers are subject to overflows of combined storm water and sewage during heavy rains. Using the site s natural gradient as a filter. HEAVY RAINS: In heavy rainstorms, CSOs act as relief points for the system. They discharge into the nearest body of water in order to prevent sewage backups into homes and onto streets. Precedents and Possibilities

Design Workshop 3 How can we make this park a park for all Newarkers and build support for Newark Riverfront Parks? PLEASE TELL US Your ideas for building support.

How to bring all Newarkers to the riverfront?

How to create a new symbol for Newark? How to build support for Newark Riverfront Parks?

Thank you. Please come to the next meeting! Tuesday, March 31, 2009 6:30-8:30 pm Newark City Hall 920 Broad Street Newark, NJ 07102