Newark Opens $11M Community Center In South Ward [PHOTOS]

NEWARK, NJ — There’s a new, $11.2 million community center in Newark’s South Ward.

Newark officials gathered at the new Training, Recreation and Education Center (TREC) at 55 Ludlow Street for a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 2.

According to city officials, the facility will provide the Newark Housing Authority with a place to manage its programs and events, and will be “an ideal location for satellite offices of businesses and organizations to service low-income residents and the community at large.”

The facility will service adults, seniors and youth in the Dayton neighborhood and nearby communities, as well as partner groups from Essex County Community College, Newark Beth Israel Hospital, the City of Newark and Rutgers University, officials said.

Amenities at the facility include:

• Smart classrooms for state-of-the art educational and job training programs
• Conference rooms
• Study cubicles
• A gymnasium with locker rooms
• A weight and cardio equipment room
• Fitness classrooms
• A security camera system

According to city officials, the facility’s architect, IKON 5, received the AIA Merit Award for the innovative design of the TREC by the American Institute of Architects. Other construction team members consist of Hunter Roberts, prime contractor and ACB Consulting Services, construction manager lead by Alicia Biasotti.

The total construction cost of the project was approximately $11.2 million, officials said.

Photo: City of Newark Press Office, Flickr

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