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Revitalization Around The Rock


The Rock 07

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I'm assuming you frequent the Chipotle by the Bridgewater Mall, and I'll admit that their quality isn't as good (due to high output at lunch when the line for a burrito is enormous) and the seating is just awful.. Every other Chipotle I've been to has more seating than that place, yet that is easily the busiest Chipotle I've ever been to.. They get so busy that they have a separate prep line just for takeout orders at lunch.. Never seen a Chipotle like that, but no doubt they can't maintain quality with that volume

 

Never been to Baja Fresh, but if I did go, what would you recommend?

 

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BTW - Saw this posted on HF. Looks like a new place opened up conveniently located near The Rock. http://theessexsportscafe.com/

 

Menu looks average and the prices seem to follow suit, but the guy who posted on HF said he thinks it's BYOB, which is a huge plus.

 

I have been to the Chipotle near the Bridgewater mall as well as one in South Plainfield and a couple in NYC.  Not impressed by any and the lines and seating in all of them suck.  I hate that industrial chic look they are trying to pull as none of the chairs are comfortable and half the tables are those stupid communal tables.

 

Baja Fresh is now hard to find since a lot of them closed down the past 2 years.  I would recommend the Nacho Burrito even though it is a calorie bomb.

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The buildings that are on the opposite side of the market street where all the bars are located need to be fixed.  I was walking the upper concourse the other night watching fanfest from inside the arena, and the buildings all along that road still look disgusting.  If they can clean that up, it's be nice.  I'm sure it won't happen overnight though.

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That stretch of Market st is a huge project being done by the same group that did the Dino building and it will be nice. The same developer is also the lead on the Indigo hotel and the Hayes Giffith Project. There is a huge amount of construction but it's going to be dead South of the arena for a while. It seems most of the action is either by the new Pru building and colleges or around the Broad/Market st area.

Edited by newarkdev01
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On a pretty cool note if you didn't see this, Whole Foods announced they are coming to Newark in the Haynes building (one block from Killkennys and Mcgoverns

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066404579125623131838750.html

 

There is a shot in the link of how Whole Foods is supposed to look as well as the renovated Haynes and Its nice to see they are going to be the Anchor on the SouthEast corner.

Rumors have Bed Bath and Beyond being a possibility for the Haynes as well but this really continues the development of the area between City hall and Broad st Station. 

Edited by newarkdev01
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Just to sort of add, and summarize all of the big changes in Newark, I took this great post from Brick City over on HFBoards:

 

 

 

  • A Krauszer's convenience store and a Chipotle restaurant will be joining Dino BBQ along Market Street in the Rock Plaza Lofts development. A liquor license transfer is also posted on one of the storefronts being renovated a few doors down from Dino BBQ. When complete, there will be over 80 residential lofts next door to Prudential Center (most of them are market rate with at least 16 affordable units).
  • A Rita's opened across the street in another building renovated by the Rock Plaza Lofts developers (it also houses a wisely placed police substation).
  • Also relatively close to the arena, the first phase of Teacher's Village has been completed on Halsey Street behind Broad Street (directly west of the arena and right by Hobby's). Three charter schools have already opened and a wide array of retailers have signed leases (including Provident Bank, another Krauszer's location, a laundromat, a florist and a few eateries). The next phase presently under construction is approximately 220 residential units being marketed to educators and school staff.
  • Whole Foods has just signed a lease to be the anchor retail tenant at the former Hahnes building (between Broad and Halsey Streets across from Military Park). The defunct department store is being redeveloped as retail, office and 180 residential units (about one third of them are affordable) with a 200+ space underground parking garage.
  • Prudential is underway on its 20 story office tower being built across from Military Park on Broad Street (next door to the Hahnes building). It will include ground level retail and parking for 1,400 cars. The foundation work is almost complete and the steel is just starting to rise above street level. The link below shows the tower being built in the center along with the adjacent smaller building to the right (the slightly taller tower to the left is currently on the drawing board):

    http://www.kpf.com/project.asp?S=1&ID=405
  • Across the street, Military Park is undergoing a $3m makeover by the designer of NYC's Bryant Park renovation.
  • Shaquille O'Neal and his developer partners broke ground on a 23 story apartment tower on the corner of Rector Street and Route 21 (right behind NJPAC). It includes ground level retail, 169 market rate rental units and 117 structured parking spaces. The old Ballantine brewery (later Newark's Science High School) facade will be preserved as part of the tower's main entrance and lower floors. The link below has the most recent rendering displayed at the groundbreaking:

    http://justarch.wordpress.com/2013/0...reaking-event/
  • The rundown Carlton Hotel just off Mulberry Street a block from NJPAC (across from the PSEG building) has been closed for renovation. A Wyndham TRYP hotel (similar to Intercontinental's Indigo brand going into the tall building being renovated on Edison Place) is proposed for the property.
  • Finally, on Washington Park near Broad Street Station, the vacant former Rutgers Law building (15 Washington Street) is being renovated into housing for 350 graduate students. A new building with a parking garage and office floors is also being built for Cablevision across the street (near the minor league baseball stadium). It is expected to be a 7-8 story building but there are no renderings yet.
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Colin,

 

You might as well throw in Riverfront park and the work that is being done at the fomer Market st gasworks site (between Jackson st and the Horrizon Blue Cross building) which is supposed to open by next year. When that is complete you will be able to walk from essentially Chapel st to Bridge st along the river.

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I think from a fans perspective is being able to look at that area as a great place to attend an event and feel pride in your team's home. Whatever JVB's flaws were I think most fans would agree that the move to Newark has been a huge plus for the team.

 

And for the city of Newark.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

About Bellos. Didn't get a chance to look at the menu. Only had time to get a couple beers. So don't know if they changed it. Still had an incredible beer selection. Had a Czechvar which I never saw before. Was really good.

The biggest update they did was to the outside, which is a huge improvement. Couldn't take a pic because it was raining pretty hard. All brick and nice windows which they said will be open in the summer with some outside seating also. Looks awesome. I think a new floor and new ceiling. All the soccers scarfs are no longer hanging. Forgot to ask if they were going back up. But if you haven't been before, I highly recommend. Escpecilly if you like different beers.

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ya I did NICOs the other night and if you are ever looking to grab a beer aind free parking it's a smart choice (assuming there isn't a performance that night). I haven't been in Bellos in years but I'm curious what the rebranding brought. I'm also waiting till the spring/summer to see what Indigo brings for choices.

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  • 5 months later...

Been too long since we had a post here. Anyone know the status of the SoMA project? I know Teacher's Village is moving to completion as part of this, but is the rest of it actually going to happen? Would be huge for the city especially if they get that 1,000+ foot tall building!

 

http://newyorkyimby.com/2014/04/revealed-soma-newark.html

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Been too long since we had a post here. Anyone know the status of the SoMA project? I know Teacher's Village is moving to completion as part of this, but is the rest of it actually going to happen? Would be huge for the city especially if they get that 1,000+ foot tall building!

 

http://newyorkyimby.com/2014/04/revealed-soma-newark.html

 

Eh I would say pipe dream at best.  These plans always look great on the drawing board and then never materialize.  Plus if they do they rarely look like the drawings.

 

A 1,000ft tower brings back hearing stories about the Grant USA Tower.  It was proposed I believe in the 80's by developer Harry Grant to be the world's tallest building at 121 floors.  It never got past the planning stages and was supposed to be at the corner of Broad and Lafayette I believe.

 

Plus I am not sure if the city or state or PA would allow a 1,000+ft skyscraper to be built so close to Newark Airport anyways.

 

In short I wouldn't hold my breath on this.

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Its been forever since I've posted here as well...maybe just trying to not see anything about the F-ing rangers that will get me all aggravated. Anyway, the real news is Military park is open and the Pru is chugging along. I think when people come back around for the beginning of hockey season they will want to wander 4 blocks over to check it out. Hopefully by then more of the market st work will be completed as well.

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  • 3 weeks later...

http://www.newarkpulse.com/articles/Phase-2-of-RockPlaza-Lofts-Opens.html

 

 

Phase 2 of RockPlaza is marked by the opening of 48 loft-style apartments at the six-story Madison Building, located at 216-218 Market Street, and the near-term opening of several new retailers including the first Newark location of the national eatery Chipotle Mexican Grill.

In addition to Chipotle, which is anticipated to open before the end of June, other new retailers include Krauszer’s Food Stores; Mercato Tomato Pie, an independent restaurant-pizzeria featuring traditional coal-fired pizza; and Novelty Burger & Bar, a throwback to the 1950s diner and drive-ins featuring burgers, hot dogs, shakes and a full bar.

The new residential units at the Madison include 48 studio, one, and two-bedroom loft rental apartments featuring stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, hardwood floors, 24-hour in-unit key access, windowed elevator lobbies and in-unit washer/dryers. The Madison, originally constructed in 1890, underwent a complete restoration and historic renovation when outfitting the new apartments.

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  • 4 weeks later...

So yes things are moving along and Indigo I think is set for August/September for opening after all the delays. I think their will be a bunch of new food choices come hockey season so good news for the fans. On The development side the RBH guys are plugging along and I think as long as the new mayor keeps his head out of his behind and stays out of the way things will move along.

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So yes things are moving along and Indigo I think is set for August/September for opening after all the delays. I think their will be a bunch of new food choices come hockey season so good news for the fans. On The development side the RBH guys are plugging along and I think as long as the new mayor keeps his head out of his behind and stays out of the way things will move along.

 

Curious what you mean by plugging along.. I know the Teacher's Village is moving to completion but are any of their other plans good to go or in the process?

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Tons of other developments in that area and up through the universities. RBH has ownership interest in properties on Market as well and they have been consistenly moving forward with them. The other nice additions outside of Rock Plaza and the new Indigo are a shade North with what is happening at 1160 Raymond (new hotel), The Carlton (Also new hotel) and the huge project with the Prudential as well as the Haynes building. Then its a question of when they start on the NJPAC building and "Shaq" residential building and how long it takes Rutgers to get their new residential building fully renovated and Cablevision to open up.

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