Newark Planning Board Approves Project At Bears Stadium Site

NEWARK, NJ — A massive development project at the former home of the Newark Bears is moving forward.

At their December meeting, the Newark Planning Board unanimously approved Accurate Builders & Developers’ phase one plans to redevelop the Riverfront Stadium site. In addition to phase one approval, the board also voted to give preliminary major site plan approval to the entire nine-phase project.

Formerly the home of the Newark Bears, an independent minor league baseball team that folded in 2013, the 10.75-acre site is located at the intersection of Broad Street and Division Street. The project is located near the Newark Broad Street train station and the Riverfront Stadium light rail station.

According to a news release, the new development, which will be known as CitiSquare Newark, will eventually consist of 11 buildings, 4,200 residential units, 100,000 square feet of commercial/office/hospitality space and up to 3,000 parking spaces.

Construction during phase one will include two 18-story residential buildings with 299 units each. A single-story of amenity and commercial space will connect the two buildings, delivering nearly 22,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space and 15,000 square feet of amenities, developers said.

Plans to build a mixed-use development at the Bears Stadium site have been kicked around before in the recent past.

In 2016, the Lotus Equity Group purchased the site from the Essex County Improvement Authority, which owned and managed the stadium for the city of Newark and Essex County, for a price tag of $23.5 million.

• See related article: Newark Bears Stadium Sold For $23.5M To Developer

The new development will be built under the city's Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, unlike the previously approved plan, the mayor’s office stated.

• See related article: New Owner, New Future For Bears Stadium Site In Newark

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