NJ Union Pushes For ‘Prevailing Wages’ At Newark Bears Stadium Site

NEWARK, NJ — When a massive redevelopment project known as “CitiSquare Newark” is finished at the former home of the Newark Bears, it’s expected to transform the neighborhood. But according to one of the largest labor unions on the East Coast, that transformation also needs to include an equally bright future for the workers who earn their livings there.

In December, the Newark Planning Board unanimously approved the first phase of the redevelopment of the former Riverfront Stadium, which was home to the Newark Bears until the baseball team folded in 2013.

The 10.75-acre site is located at the intersection of Broad Street and Division Street, and will be developed in nine phases, officials previously said. Plans for the site include 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. Read More: Newark Planning Board Approves Project At Bears Stadium Site

The Newark City Council has been considering whether to grant the developer – an affiliate of Accurate Builders & Developers – an $18 million tax exemption. The tax abatement would be limited to $2 million for each of the proposed nine phases of the development project, TAP Into Newark reported.

A council vote granting final approval for the tax exemption was scheduled earlier this month, but has been delayed, NJ.com reported.

Last week, members of 32BJ SEIU – who have been pushing for fair pay at the development site – rallied in front of City Hall. The union is urging the council to ensure that an estimated 100 building service workers employed on the site get “prevailing wages,” as well as other important benefits and protections.

And it needs to be done before any tax exemption is granted to the developers, union spokespeople argued.

“Newark is the largest city in our state,” a spokesperson told Patch. “Most 32BJ members live and work in Newark. While we are happy to see the growth in our city, we need to be certain that this growth and development is happening within living standards, not only for our members, but also for all workers in Newark.”

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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