Words Plans New Bookstore At Special Needs Center In Essex County

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A fixture on the Essex County literary scene plans to open a new location at a unique special needs learning facility in Livingston dubbed “Lifetown.”

Earlier this week, Words Bookstore in Maplewood announced that its new store will be part of Lifetown, a 53,000-square-foot facility opening under the auspices of the Friendship Circle that aims "to redefine the recreational and educational landscape" for individuals with special needs. Like the Maplewood main branch, which opened in 2009, the new store is intended to be a “community literary hub” that will provide vocational training for individuals on the autism spectrum, shelf-awareness.com reported.

The indie bookseller stated that the new location will be set in the facility’s “Life Village,” a simulated town square with street lights, traffic lights, sidewalks and shops that aims to give each special needs resident the tools to live up to their potential.

Initially, the store will offer a selection of bestsellers, Judaica, children's books and a large collection of titles focusing on special needs.

"We have served our neighboring communities of Livingston, Millburn/Short Hills and West Orange for nine years, and we hope that our Lifetown location will enhance our ability to do so," Words Bookstore’s owner Jonah Zimiles said. "In the long-term, we hope to bring author events to Lifetown, which will provide us with another location for large offsite events."

• See related article: Words Bookstore, Where The Story Is Community

According to its developers, Lifetown -a $15 million, 53,000 square foot facility in Livingston - will provide a “unique learning oasis” for 6,500 special needs students in Essex County when it’s complete.

At Lifetown's ShopRite, for example, special needs students will get the chance to practice crucial daily tasks such as money management, choosing healthy fare, waiting on lines and following a shopping list.

Young adults with special needs will also have the opportunity to learn how to stock store shelves, work a cash register, bag groceries and more as part of job-readiness training, ShopRite representatives said.

The project will also provide volunteer opportunities for more than 2,000 teens, college students and adults, developers estimated. In addition to Words Bookstore and ShopRite, other project sponsors include RWJ/Barnabas Health, Regal Bank, DCH Audi and Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

Work on Lifetown was “entering the final stretch,” developers stated in December.

• See related article: Livingston's $15M 'Lifetown' Will Help Special-Needs Youth (VIDEO)

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Patch file photo: Words Bookstore