History runs deep.Although it may fade from memory, its roots are imbedded in the land and the buildings of the past.It may appear to be dilapidated and dormant—even uninhabitable—but with the right advocacy, the built form of a city’s rich history can be awakened and enlivened.
NJCU’s West Campus Master Plan is the culmination of the reclamation, remediation, and repurposing of an urban brownfield—a coordinated effort to revitalize the city’s Bayside neighborhood.
Development began with an abandoned industrial laundry building—a souvenir of the city’s past success as a hub for service, commerce, manufacturing, and transportation. Preserving and capitalizing on the building’s existing structure and use of original materials, the building has found new life as The University Academy Charter High School, The West Side Theater, and the University’s Business Development Incubator.
A future mixed-use development, to include academic space, living accommodations, business, and retail, will provide a safe, vibrant hub of community and economic activity. The West Campus Master Plan purposely blurs the line between the campus edge and its surrounding community, creating a “university urban village”—an ideal place to live, work, and learn.
