The Daily Newarker

Star Ledger: Proposed Newark high-rise would become city’s tallest building

Carl Dranoff, the Philadelphia developer who unveiled plans in January 2008 for a 28-story luxury apartment high-rise across from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, now pegs his new Two Center Street at 44 stories — still far short of the state mantle but enough to overtake the circa 1931 National Newark Building at 744 Broad St. as Newark’s tallest building.

“It will become a transformational project,” Dranoff said of the $190 million project. “We expect it will have an enormous impact. We’ve seen this in other cities where we build a big anchor project. Usually, others follow. We sort of have the play-books to make it happen.”

Site plans for the milestone project note that Two Center Street’s 44 floors, topping off at 482 feet, 2 inches beats National Newark Building’s 465 feet by 17 feet, 2 inches.

“Redefining Newark’s Skyline” reads the plug on the company’s online portal, where the developer touts its location across from NJPAC and near historic Military Park and the new light-rail line.

Star Ledger: Vacant lots in Newark to be turned into housing, education complex

A developer is hoping to turn four blocks of downtown Newark, now home to several vacant buildings, into a village featuring three charter schools and 221 homes to be marketed to educators, along with retail stores.

The $120 million project would involve demolishing eight deteriorating buildings along Halsey Street dating from the 1870s; constructing seven buildings four to six stories tall, and rehabilitating a nine-story building.

“We feel very strongly that we have the right formula,” said developer Ron Beit of the RBH Group, whose proposal is scheduled for its first public hearing Thursday, before Newark’s Landmarks & Historic Preservation Commission. …

Beit hopes to break ground on the project, called Teachers Village at Four Corners, this summer and complete the work by June 2012. The financing, he said, is in place.

My family had dinner last night with some friends who had been on a walking tour with Mr. Beit. Despite the freezing cold temperatures, they said his enthusiasm for the project seemed to keep him warm as the developer shared his ambitions at length.

Very exciting development to see education start to merge with downtown development.

Gorgeous shot outside Penn Station, via Flickr.

Star Ledger: First new hotel in Newark’s downtown in 38 years will be built next to Prudential Center

A 150-room Courtyard by Marriott will begin rising later this year next to The Prudential Center marking the first new hotel in Newark’s downtown in nearly 40 years and signaling the strength of the 18,000-seat arena’s economic pull, officials said yesterday.

I work in NYC during the day with a view of Jersey City across the river. One thing these two cities have that I rarely see in Newark: cranes in the air. Where the NJPAC complex and Shaq buildings have been — what we in the technology refer to as — “vaporware”, it’s exciting to see another project in the works downtown.