Newark Opens Youth Center With Music Studio, Social Workers, Art

NEWARK, NJ — A bittersweet ribbon cutting ceremony took place this week at the Ronald L. Rice Arts Center West in Newark.

On Tuesday, officials and community members gathered for a grand opening at the city's newest youth center. The facility is located at 460-462 South 18th Street in the city’s west ward, where a laundromat once stood. It will provide a “safe, educational space” for local teens and kids, where they can nurture their creative urges with music recording, video editing and photography classes.

The center will also offer therapeutic support services with social workers for residents aged 12 to 24. It will operate from Monday through Friday (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Youth will be able to register for programs at the center or by calling the main OVPTR office at 973-733-5655. Classes begin on March 1.

“The Ronald L. Rice Arts Center in the West Ward isn’t just a building, it’s a beacon of hope and opportunity for our community,” West Ward Councilman Dupré Kelly said.

“As someone who grew up in the West Ward, a block away from the center, and found my voice through hip-hop, I know firsthand the transformative power of the arts,” he added. See Related: From ‘The Underground’ To Newark Council; Iconic Rapper Gets Political

“We are excited to work with youth by providing creative healing outlets that empower them, ignite resilience, and spark transformative change throughout our community,” agreed Kyleesha Wingfield-Hill, director of the city’s Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR).

According to the mayor’s office, the city funded the center’s development in conjunction with the OVPTR and Invest Newark.

OCA Architects designed the project. The Eminence Group developed the project, and TEG Design & Build served as general contractor. Managed Business Solutions provided IT infrastructure.

REMEMBERING RONALD RICE

The new youth center is named for Ronald Rice, the late state senator who represented Newark until his death in 2023. He also served as Newark’s West Ward council member and as deputy mayor.

Prior to his retirement in 2022, Rice – one of the most recognizable Democrats in the senate and the longest-serving Black lawmaker in state history – had served in the 28th District for more than three decades.

“This ribbon cutting is bittersweet for me,” Mayor Ras Baraka said at Tuesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony.

“On one hand, I’m proud and happy that we are dedicating this center to state senator Rice, who was a stalwart champion of social justice for more than four decades as a public servant – and who from his first day in the Senate to his last, wrote legislation to help Newark’s kids,” Baraka said.

“On the other hand, I’m sorry that the kids who come here will never have the privilege of sitting with him like I did, and learning firsthand how to see issues with clarity, how to discern the right path to progress, and how to stay true to your vision in every situation, every conversation, and every relationship,” the mayor added.

The senator’s son and daughter were both on hand to witness this week’s ribbon cutting.

Both have dedicated themselves to public service and “improving the lives of the most vulnerable,” city officials said. Ronald C. Rice served as West Ward council member from 2006 to 2014, representing the neighborhoods of Vailsburg, Ivy Hill, West Side, Fairmount and Roseville. Meanwhile, Yuki Rice serves as director of resident engagement and program development at a residential facility, and as board member of the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals.

“We are overjoyed and proud that this community continues to honor our father’s legacy,” the siblings said in a joint statement.

“The Rice Family prioritized the arts and mental wellness in this part of the West Ward with a recording studio at the old West Side Boys & Girls Club, created and funded by Shaquille O’Neal, as well as the Family Success Center at Georgia King Village, made possible through city dollars and Newark Now,” they continued.

“Today, we look back with pride at the foundation our father laid, but set our sights on tomorrow as we take a big step forward in the West Ward’s future,” the senator’s children added.

• See Related: Retired NJ Sen. Ron Rice Dies, ‘Trailblazer’ Mourned In Essex County

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