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City says Drop‑in Resource Center design work will start this month, aims to open by year’s end
Summary
City officials told the Newark Municipal Council that design work for a new Drop‑in Resource Center will begin in January and the administration is aiming to open the renovated 8,000‑square‑foot space by the end of 2025; the engineering/design contract was on the Jan. 14 consent roll.
The Newark administration told the Municipal Council on Jan. 14 that design work will begin this month for a renovated Drop‑in Resource Center and that the city aims to open the 8,000‑square‑foot site by the end of 2025.
Lewis, director of the Office of Homeless Services, told the council the city purchased the building last year and designated it for a “24/7 drop‑in and resource center.” He said a prior design firm selected in 2024 “dropped out because they could not agree to the terms of the contract,” and the city issued a new request for proposals; the firm currently before the council is the one that responded to that RFP and is ready to begin work. Lewis said, “We are starting the design phase this month, and the goal is to open this center by the end of the year.”
Council members asked for details on abatement, timeline and community engagement. Lewis said the project will be a renovation rather than new construction and “we do like the design of the floor plan that was proposed, and we’re gonna try to stay as closely as we can to that design moving forward.” He also described interior programming: the center “won’t have any beds, but, yes, it will have showers. It will have a kitchen, to serve food. It’ll have spaces for them to receive counseling, meeting rooms to hold meetings there,” and staff later confirmed washers and dryers will be available.
Why it matters: The Drop‑in Resource Center is intended as a hub for services aimed at people experiencing homelessness and for broader city services. The council adopted, by roll call earlier in the meeting, professional services awards tied to the project (agenda item 7R3 a–b).
Clarifying details recorded in the meeting: - Building purchased in 2024 and described by the director as a “brand new 8,000 square feet space.” - Prior design firm withdrew over contract terms; the current firm responded to a new RFP and is before council for contract approval. - City intends a renovation (not new construction) and aims to remain close to the previous community‑informed floor plan. - Interior amenities stated by the director: showers, kitchen, counseling/meeting rooms, washers/dryers; no beds.
What’s next: The council adopted the related agenda items on Jan. 14; the Office of Homeless Services and the contracted firm will finalize the design scope and put the project into construction procurement. The director estimated an aggressive timeline targeting opening by the end of 2025.
