The six-story building at the corner of Halsey and Market streets in downtown Newark, where Bamberger's department store got its start in 1892, is headed toward a new life as housing. Newark's Central Planning Board approved a proposal to rehabilitate the former L. Bamberger & Co. and Ohrbach's building, with plans to consolidate four lots at 141-149 Market Street and convert the upper floors into apartments.
Jersey Digs reports the project will deliver 98 new apartments, while Essex Review reports the plan would convert the long-vacant upper floors into apartments. Essex Review also notes that the city's Landmarks Commission had already given unanimous approval, but that owner Ralph Braha still needed Planning Board sign-off before construction could begin.
Whichever number holds, the residential mix is consistent across the seed reporting: 20 of the units would be designated affordable, alongside 70 one-bedroom units, 15 two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units. Dave Robinson, a principal at SUAD, is serving as the project's lead architect, per Essex Review.
Restoring a Downtown Landmark
The restoration plan calls for smaller retail signage and recreating the former Ohrbach's sign, according to Essex Review.
The building has sat largely empty for decades. Its second through sixth floors have had no tenant occupancy for at least 35 years, even as the structure has remained part of downtown Newark for nearly 130 years, per the seed reporting behind Jersey Digs' account.
A Garden Tied to Newark History
Among the amenities described in the seed material is a second-floor garden intended to honor the memory of Caroline Bamberger Fuld, who is credited with starting the tradition of donating cherry blossom trees at Branch Brook Park. The plan reportedly includes lightwells running from the rooftop down to the second-floor amenities, which would include a cherry blossom grove and a reflecting pool.
The applicant also plans to restore the building's roof, with rooftop amenity space described in the seed material. A residential lobby and basement amenity space, including a workout room and tenant storage, are also part of the plan, alongside bike storage and a pet washing area, according to the same seed reporting.
Part of a Broader Newark Trend
The Bamberger's and Ohrbach's conversion fits into a wider pattern of Newark turning old commercial buildings into housing. Newark is expected to develop 948 apartments through adaptive-reuse projects, according to a study cited by Patch, with 495 of those units coming from former office buildings, 208 from hotels, 165 from schools and 80 from a former government building. Nationwide, adaptive-reuse projects increased by 17.6 percent over the past year, Patch reports, with 151,000 rental apartments in various stages of conversion across the country, including 58,000 expected to come from former office spaces.
Newark ranks as the third-largest metro developer of adaptive-reuse apartments, behind Manhattan and Queens, according to the study described by Patch.
Other Newark Conversions Point the Way
SUAD, the firm behind the Bamberger's project's architecture, is also involved in converting Newark's old RKO Proctor Palace into a 38-unit apartment building, according to Essex Review. Elsewhere downtown, the Walker House conversion offers a glimpse of what a finished historic rehab can look like: the renovated building contains 264 luxury apartments, a project that NJ.com reported cost L+M Development Partners $120 million to complete.
At Walker House, monthly rents ranged from $1,875 for a studio to $3,650 for a three-bedroom apartment, with 54 units, or 20 percent of the total, set aside as affordable for residents earning 40 to 50 percent of area median income. The building's amenities included a gym, a coworking space, an amenities lounge with a pool table, and outdoor grills on the terrace, the outlet noted.
