Geographic Fund: |
North Jersey Metro |
Name of Project: |
Urban Environmental and Ecological Center |
Location of Project: |
Central Ward, City of Newark |
Non-Profit Organization: |
Greater
Newark Conservancy |
Funds Requested:
Leverage:
|
$355,000 to Complete
the Outdoor Learning Center
$4,500,000 to Renovate the Main Building
1.75 to 1 (Every
dollar contributed is matched by $1.75) |
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| NEW JERSEY’S FIRST
URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOLOGICAL CENTER |
| Greater Newark Conservancy is creating New Jersey’s
first urban Environmental and Ecological Center in downtown
Newark, NJ, which will allow them to vastly expand their environmental
education programs for low-income youth, grades pre-K through
12, from Newark and surrounding urban areas. It will also provide
all-important, open, green, passive recreational space for the
general public in an otherwise intense urban setting. |
| WHAT IS AN URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL
CENTER? |
| The Center will be comprised of a Main Building, housing educational
and administrative space, and an outdoor component -- The Prudential
Outdoor Learning Center. A series of outdoor "classrooms"
located in thematic gardens will provide a major educational
attraction within the Outdoor Learning Center. Once the Center
is completed, the Conservancy will have the facilities to expand
its educational programming to serve many thousands of urban
youth and adult residents, all while striving to improve New
Jersey’s urban communities through environmental education,
community gardening, beautification of neighborhoods, job training
opportunities and environmental justice. |
| AN ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC
GREEN SPACE |
| New Jersey’s largest city, Newark has a vast deficit
of open space for its dense population. Greater Newark Conservancy’s
new Urban Environmental and Ecological Center will provide a
much needed green, open space offering environmental education
and passive recreational opportunities in the heart of the City.
The location is very accessible via public transportation and
the population density will greatly increase as the redevelopment
progresses. Thus the need for the open, recreational space provided
by the new Center will become even greater in the future. |
| IMPROVING THE QUALITY
OF LIFE IN NEW JERSEY’S URBAN COMMUNITIES THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION |
| The Center will strive to improve the quality of life of New
Jersey’s urban communities through environmental education,
community gardening, beautification of neighborhoods, job training
opportunities and environmental justice. |
| HISTORIC REUSE |
| The Center’s Main Building is an 1884 former synagogue
which is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.
This project is preserving this historic structure by adaptively
reusing it to serve as the primary environmental education building
for the overall Center. The Main Building is integrally related
to the surrounding Prudential Outdoor Learning Center since
it will provide the major indoor educational and support facilities
for the public and school group visitors to the Outdoor Learning
Center. When renovated, the Main Building will contain the Great
Hall, a majestic two-story lecture room which will accommodate
special events and public presentations. |
| AN OUTDOOR LEARNING
CENTER |
| The 1.5-acre Prudential Outdoor Learning Center surrounds
the Main Building and is comprised of a series of outdoor “classrooms”
located in ten thematic gardens. The outdoor component will
be a vital part of the environmental education center and will
especially cater to visiting school groups. The Outdoor Learning
Center’s construction is substantially complete, transforming
a debris-filled, brownfield, vacant lot into a park-like setting
which will provide a unique and wonderful urban recreational
and educational attraction. |
| A COMPUTER LIBRARY AND
EXHIBIT AREA AND OFFICES |
| A Computer Library with 36 terminals for students and general
public use will provide resources specifically designed to address
urban educational and environmental problems. Near the library
will be the Education Exhibit Gallery, with changeable exhibit
panels and display cases which will complement and reinforce
the topics that will be taught in both the classrooms and the
Outdoor Learning Center. The top floor of the Main Building
will contain the administrative offices of the Conservancy and
a Conference/Board Room. Three classrooms, a demonstration kitchen,
a library/conference room and additional education staging and
storage areas will be located on the ground floor. |
| WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT |
The vision for New Jersey’s Urban Environmental Education
Center is a great one and will cost approximately $12.8 million,
of which some $7 million will be spent on the Outdoor Learning
center, and another $5.5 million on the renovation of the Main
Building.
To date Greater Newark Conservancy
has raised nearly $8 million and has spent $6.4 million on
design and construction of the Prudential Outdoor Learning
Center and design and initial renovation of the exterior of
the former synagogue.
The interior of the structure requires
major construction and will have a substantial three-story
extension attached. An additional $4,500,000 is needed to
complete the overall Main Building and $355,000 for Completion
of the Outdoor Learning Center. |
| A PROJECT WITH DEDICATED
PARTNERS |
| Numerous foundations, corporations, organizations, government
and individual providers of grants are supporting the Greater
Newark Conservancy’s project. Public partners include
the State Green Acres Program, the New Jersey Historic Trust,
Essex County, and the City of Newark. In addition, various corporations,
schools, non-profits, garden clubs and community residents (representing
200 individuals) have provided 700 hours of volunteer service
to assist with planting the new Prudential Outdoor Learning
Center. As the Center opens and programming is implemented,
various groups and individuals will also be contributing their
services as volunteers. |
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