Class-A office buildings can become ivory towers. Developers often fill properties with fitness centers, cafés and lounges for their prospective tenants, creating vertical campuses isolated from the nearby community. Commuters clock in and out without exposure to new people, ideas and experiences.
But C&K Properties, the owner of 2 Gateway, has opted to bring the influence of the Newark community directly into the building’s lobby in addition to the usual amenities.
The 2.6M SF Gateway Center sits in the heart of Newark’s Downtown Arts and Businesses District, a growing area of economic vitality in the city. Stepping off the PATH train or N.J. transit, commuters walk past colorful murals created by 18 local and international artists before heading to one of the 4,500 businesses downtown, including major international companies like Broadridge Financial.
The 2 Gateway renovation brings those two worlds under the same roof.
When =Space opened last September, the premium co-working space at 2 Gateway became a home for tech workers and creative professionals alike. The 24/7, 2K SF facility features membership-based desk reservations, meeting areas and private conference rooms. Rather than just serve as an affordable workplace, =Space also functions as an incubator, offering resources and coaching for emerging startups.
The co-working area is on the concourse level of the three-floor, 25K SF Gateway Project Space, the building’s own hub for local artists. The facility offers a curated residency program, rentable studios and a project-based gallery. Music also has a home at the Gateway Project, as curated jazz shows are a frequent event for the commuters pouring in daily from the connected Newark Penn Station.
“The joint venture is an opportunity for =Space and Gateway Project Space to create an ecosystem of creatives of all types with the goal of growing within the City of Newark,” =Space founder Citi Medina said.
Art has always been a part of downtown Newark’s revitalization. In the 1990s, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center was constructed to be the Garden State’s answer to Lincoln Center. The construction of the 2,600-seat hall also came with a larger goal to attract suburban residents to the urban core.
Gateway Project Spaces founders Jasmine Wahi and Rebecca Jampol have similar ambitions.
“Developing a larger, diverse group of on-site creative professionals and cultural practitioners will continue to make Newark a destination to work, network and live,” Wahi said.
Resources like the Gateway Project and =Space provide exposure to different industries and diverse backgrounds, supporting higher levels of interaction and collaboration. In co-working spaces, time spent away from an office cubicle doing activities or interacting with other tenants can spark new ideas and build a stronger work identity, according to a Harvard Business Review study.
The new additions to 2 Gateway create an environment of discovery and inspiration, more than a traditional office, by welcoming in local innovators and artists. C&K properties has fostered a cultural osmosis, a crucial exchange of ideas and innovations that has always made Newark a center for entrepreneurship.
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