Why the Airport City Newark Project Led by NJIT Is a Big Deal

Realizing the vision of integrating Newark Liberty International Airport into the surrounding city is still years away. But advisors from New Jersey Institute of Technology remain focused on the prize: an aerotropolis that welcomes visitors to stay, dine, shop and experience the culture of the largest city in New Jersey, while creating economic opportunity nearby.

Currently, however, the city is separated from the airport by a fence, which keeps local residents from entering the station directly from their neighborhood. That will change, however, under a $12 million project greenlit by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Darius Sollohub, interim director and professor of NJIT’s School of Architecture, and Colette Santasieri, executive director of the university’s Center for Community Systems, lead a coalition that pushed for the change, and that, more broadly, advocates for Dayton, the neighborhood around the airport, with the financial support of the Prudential Foundation ($325,000 across five years), the U.S. Economic Development Administration ($125,000) and N.J. Economic Development Authority ($50,000).

The coalition — which also includes leaders from the city, Port Authority, Regional Plan Association, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Weequahic Park Sports Authority, Rutgers and the University of Pennsylvania — strives to maximize the benefits that Newark derives from the airport. Here are five reasons why the project, known as Airport City Newark, is significant to Dayton, Newark and N.J.

Airports are economic engines. Currently, Newark Liberty generates 24,000 direct jobs and 110,000 indirect jobs that collectively represent $3.3 billion in wages and salaries. At the same time, the airport helps fuel $200 billion in economic activity among companies in New Jersey and $11.3 billion in regional economic activity. Creating public access from Dayton could turbocharge that.

Dayton is among the poorest neighborhoods in Newark. In 2019, the median household income in Dayton was $32,658 — a fraction of the statewide figure of $82,545 and significantly below the citywide figure of $40,235, according to the U.S. Census. Also, among Dayton’s 12,480 residents back then, more than a third lived below the U.S. poverty line. “The extreme disparity juxtaposed with the enormous wealth that flows from the airport propels the city to address and ameliorate this grossly inequitable situation,” Santasieri explained.

A Newark aerotropolis would be one of just a few in the U.S. Airports in Asia and Europe provide models for this, particularly Schiphol in Amsterdam. Also, the proximity of Newark Liberty to neighborhoods makes it a prime candidate for such a move. In fact, “Newark is probably the greatest opportunity to transform an existing airport into an aerotropolis in the United States,” Sollohub said. “It already has access to high speed and commuter rail and could have subway access soon. It also has enough adjacent land for a small downtown to grow.”

The city will get an economic development strategy. New York consultancy Hatch, subcontracted by NJIT, is developing one for 37 acres around the airport that will incorporate census data, a snapshot of the existing area, larger economic trends and input from the coalition. “This can guide Newark as it seeks development in the area,” Santasieri said. Funded by the U.S. EDA and N.J. EDA, the strategic plan is due in March.

A new production studio is being built nearby. The 350,000-square-foot Lionsgate studio in the South Ward, due to open in 2024, will employ 600 workers and be part of a larger development that includes 400 units of housing and a new health care facility. Airport City Newark could complement it and collectively they could create a larger economic development zone. “In some ways, the benefits are similar. There’s a tremendous workforce benefit. There’s the benefit of just sheer imagery. There are the transportation opportunities,” Sollohub said. “The two together could be like a double star.”