Inner M&E Strategic Corridor Plan

March 1, 2013

Project Partners:

Issues:• Route I-280 Divide (N – S)• Connections to Jobs• Quality of Life Issues

Inner M&E Strategic Corridor Plan

• City of Newark• City of Orange Twp• City of East Orange•West Orange Twp

•Greater Newark LISC• HANDS• La Casa de Don Pedro• Essex County• The Hsng & Comm Dev

Network of NJ

The Region: Essex County

Study AreaSurrounding Communities

The Corridor Communities

4

Neighboring Communities

Shared Neighborhoods & Corridors

•Valley Arts

•Main Street

•Interstate 280

Transit Villages

•Orange & East Orange Opportunities

• Lower-cost urban & suburban residential opportunities

• Newark providing employment, and educational, health care, and cultural services to

surrounding area residents

• New residential development in East Orange attracting commuters, young adults &

empty nesters

• NJT provides easy, low cost and sustainable linkage between the Inner M&E communities

and the region

Approach:

Defining, documenting and creating the principles and priorities of an overall “Corridor Vision” and establishing a “network of partners” to take action; create and sustain a unified vision that will support the unique character of each community and neighborhood.

Scope: Two parallel, complementary efforts:

1.Articulate a bigger picture narrative and vision of the corridor that explains the rationale for looking at the study area as a coherent place and illustrates its potential.

2.Lay the groundwork for an organizational framework that can help support joint municipal and not-for-profit efforts to bring the vision to fruition.

  

Approach and Scope

The Study Area

Framing the Issues: The I-280 Divide

Framing the Issues: Connections to Jobs

Next Steps…

Local Partners Steering Committee Meeting #2 – March 25, 2013

In the meantime…

Project Team (NJT, EEK, LISC and Cornwall Center for Metro Studies at RU Newark) meet to:• Further refine Priorities and Actions for Implementation, as guided by

Local Partner input sessions & target stakeholder meetings• Further refine proposed approach to creating “network of local partners”

that could carry priorities and actions forward as current project concludes

• Engage Local Partner groups to “shop” the Priorities and Actions to their constituents, funders, other partners to enhance credibility

• Set up 3 public engagement sessions (to occur in early April) in the corridor communities for residents, businesses and interested stakeholders to provide further clarification of priorities and identify desired outcomes.  

Next Steps…

Local Partners Steering Committee Meeting #2 – March 25, 2013

In the meantime…

Project Team (NJT, EEK, LISC and Cornwall Center for Metro Studies at RU Newark) meet to:• Further refine Priorities and Actions for Implementation, as guided by

Local Partner input sessions & target stakeholder meetings• Further refine proposed approach to creating “network of local partners”

that could carry priorities and actions forward as current project concludes

• Engage Local Partner groups to “shop” the Priorities and Actions to their constituents, funders, other partners to enhance credibility

• Set up 3 public engagement sessions (to occur in early April) in the corridor communities for residents, businesses and interested stakeholders to provide further clarification of priorities and identify desired outcomes.