The New Jersey Institute of Technology’s new Wellness and Events Center at Lock and Warren streets in Newark— All photos courtesy: NJIT
By Joshua Burd
The New Jersey Institute of Technology has taken the wraps off a 220,000-square-foot multipurpose center, the largest piece of a $400 million overhaul of its footprint in Newark.
The university on Friday formally unveiled the new Wellness and Events Center at Lock and Warren streets. Designed and engineered by AECOM and built by Torcon, the state-of-the-art facility provides large-scale space for professional conferencing, training and career fairs, as well as social settings for NJIT students, faculty and staff.
More than 300 students, alumni, faculty, staff and other well-wishers gathered on campus to celebrate an official ribbon-cutting for the complex.
“This building is the latest and largest component of a $400 million campus transformation that has been taking place in recent years and has included the renovation of the Central King Building, the new Life Sciences and Engineering Center, and several other facilities projects,” NJIT President Joel S. Bloom said. “This transformation would not have been possible without the leadership of our trustees, the generosity of our donors, the support of state and local government, the work of Vice President Andrew Christ and his team, and the input of the campus community.”
According to NJIT, the design of the three-story building features several flexible spaces that can be quickly configured to support the university community’s different missions. The exterior design is a nod to the university’s strength in engineering and technology education, featuring a 52-foot-high glass wall on the north facade that offers views of the adjacent athletic field as well as NJIT’s academic campus.
SLIDESHOW: A look inside NJIT’s new Wellness and Events Center
“When you build it, they will come,” state Sen. Richard J. Codey said. “What you’ve done here is phenomenal. You will continue to grow. NJIT is a fabulous institution.”
Codey was among several public officials on hand Friday, including state Sen. Paul A. Sarlo, an NJIT alumnus and former student-athlete.
“This is a great day for the city of Newark just as it’s a great day for NJIT,” Sarlo said. “What is exciting are that our engineering students are much more well-rounded and want to be engaged. That’s why NJIT will continue to attract well-rounded students from across the country.”
Stephen P. DePalma, chairman of the NJIT board of trustees, said the facility would be “a critical component of our efforts to engage and partner with business, industry and government to spur economic development and create opportunities for our graduates.”
