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Roselle, New Jersey (June 10, 2017) – After four and half years of planning, Roselle Public Schools hosted the official groundbreaking ceremony of the Arminio Athletic Field. The groundbreaking initiated construction of the new football, track, and field facility. The complex will feature a weight room, lockers, bathrooms and meeting space. Other amenities will include a concession area and a “Walk of Fame”— a special place of recognition of former Roselle Ram football players.

“Today we gather for this joyous groundbreaking ceremony marking the construction of our new football field and track,” said Andrea Staten, councilwoman of the third ward and mistress of ceremonies for the afternoon. “Today is not only a big day for us but more importantly for our students, who will reap the benefits of this amazing new complex.”

The ceremony took place on the current football field, which stood outdated with holes in the grass. Many in attendance questioned how the Roselle Rams could win as many games as they have on that field. This project has been a goal of not only the council and school board but also the community. Many shared personal reasons for attending and even remembered their days on the field.

“My own children played on this field,” said Council President, Kim Shaw. “My daughter was a high school cheerleader, my son played football for the Rams and so I have been out here Sunday, Saturday week after week; for years. This is something we wanted for our kids for a long time.”

The existing field holds memories and records that members of the community will not forget. This is where Roselle became a family. Before the shovels were in the ground, there was special recognition given to Valerie Hurling Hall who is a resident of Roselle. She sold her house for the additional land needed for the recreation project.

“Ms. Hurling Hall owns the house right behind the field, and trust me this project would not be possible if Ms. Valerie Hurling Hall did not allow us to buy her home,” said Assemblyman, Jamel Holley.

Assemblyman Holley has also procured 1.2 million dollars from the State of New Jersey to assist in the development of the new complex. The ceremony concluded with the symbolic shovels in the ground while the athletes, current, and past, gathered around.

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Elizabeth, New Jersey (May 22, 2017) – After years of planning, design and a change of contractors during construction, Union County dedicated the new Family Justice Center. The new 78,000 square-foot facilities will alleviate severe space shortfalls at the main County Courthouse and provide a suitable environment to serve families and children in need and in crisis.

New Jersey Chief Justice Stuart Rabner helped cut the ribbon for the new Union County Courthouse when it opened with fanfare that drew elected officials, judges, and family law attorneys and advocates to the modern, stone and glass building.

“We’re here to dedicate this building because we care about helping our youth and our families in need,” said Union County Freeholder Chair Bruce Bergen. “Victims of domestic violence will have waiting rooms right next to the courtroom, not down the hall or upstairs,” Union County Assignment Judge Karen Cassidy said. “There will be staffed, safe waiting rooms for children,” she said.

The new courthouse will be home to the Union County Superior Court Family Division which provides adjudication and legal assistance, counseling, support and housing aid for families dealing with issues of custody, child support, paternity, adoption, foster care placement, abuse and domestic violence.

The four-story building has six state-of-the-art courtrooms, judges’ chambers, jury deliberation rooms, attorney/client conference rooms, family waiting rooms, administrative offices and prisoner intake/holding facilities. The architectural features include a monumental canopied entrance plaza that welcomes the visitor and into a light-filled, easy to navigate building, designed as a safe and calming environment. It is highly secure while offering family-friendly amenities such as a first-floor café, and a play area for young children. Special consideration was given to the design of family waiting areas to provide comfort, natural light and views and privacy (with complete separation of adversaries) to ensure safety and reduce stress. In addition to important functional design criteria, the architects introduced smart building features such as solar-shaded windows and energy efficiencies that could not be easily realized in the Courthouse Tower or Annex. The facility will also house the Union County Prosecutor’s Office of Victim Witness Advocacy which is accessible from a second entrance.

The limestone-clad building extends the streets-cape of Elizabeth and creates an important new public presence at the corner of Rahway Avenue and Cherry Street, a short walk from the landmark Courthouse Tower. The site provides approximately 150 parking spaces and is within walkable distance from the train station.

“We started talking about this project in 2009,” Daniel Sullivan, the executive director of the Union County Improvement Authority, said during ceremonies Monday.

County officials were hoping to deliver the project sooner, but with the requirement to include many Union County, court and law enforcement stakeholders, and the complex program and design requirements the project took much longer to bring to successful completion. The building will officially open for business this month.

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Roselle, New Jersey (May 16, 2017) – The Warinanco Park Skating Rink—a familiar landmark for Union County skaters since 1961—underwent an extensive $7 million modernization and renovation that doubled the overall complex space and transform it into a year-round venue for skating and other activities. During this time, the facility stayed closed for open public skating but remained open for high school games and practices.

“Our goal is to provide modernized amenities for skaters while creating a venue that can remain in use year-round for a variety of purposes,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “The Warinanco Park Skating Rink was considered a state-of-the-art facility when it opened in 1961, and we are looking forward to using the updated building, that will restore its prominence.”

The final design incorporates both uses and allows the County flexibility in choosing how it runs the facility. The rink will become known as the Warinanco Sports Center going forward. In the Spring and Summer, once the ice is removed, field turf will be laid on the rink floor and baseball/softball batting cages will be added as well as an infield so as to service a large number of baseball and softball leagues which currently use the park.

Mar-Bridge Enterprises of Matawan is the general contractor, and Netta Architects of Mountainside has designed the new facility. The rink, which is located on the Roselle side of the park, was part of the original plans for the park drawn up in the 1920s. It was finally built and opened as an outdoor facility in October 1961 with much fanfare: the opening program featured group and solo exhibitions from local professional and amateur skaters, a pee wee hockey game, and speed skating. The rate card billed the rink as “The First Public Artificial Ice Skating Rink in Union County.”

Warinanco Park has seen extensive renovations culminating over the past year with the opening of the new athletic turf field and track area on the Roselle side, and a new playground/playground sports area on the Elizabeth side, across from the Boat House. Located in the City of Elizabeth, and the Borough of Roselle, Warinanco Park, which opened in the mid-1920s, comprises 205 acres of developed parkland and was originally designed by the Olmsted Firm.

Brian Hare, Netta Architects Project Manager, “The challenging aspect of this project was to design a new ice rink clubhouse while integrating a year-round recreational use.”

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Newark, New Jersey (May 11, 2017) – The Newark Housing Authority, The Michaels Organization along with Netta Architects have partnered to design and build a new mixed-use residential community. Originally known as New Horizons, the four-story Boulevard West will offer 89 affordable, residential rental units with an on-site leasing office and 5,000 square feet of retail/commercial space. All of the residential units are designed to Energy Star® criteria and each floor will feature 600 square feet of tenant amenities. Boulevard West will provide ample off-street parking and accessible entrances for residents and tenants. Currently under construction, the project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2018.

Located in the Belmont Neighborhood of Newark’s Central Ward, the new housing development will occupy a prominent site at the intersection of Muhammad Ali Avenue and one of Newark’s major arteries, Irvine Turner Boulevard. The site is accessible by NJ Transit bus routes along Irvine Turner Boulevard and is within walking distance to parks and shopping.

The Boulevard West development addresses a number of important goals outlined in Newark’s Master Plan for the Belmont Neighborhood: infill of vacant land parcels on Irvine Turner Boulevard, improved retail and commercial options for the neighborhood, and an enhanced and more attractive streetscape, all of which foster secure and vibrant urban environments.

“It has been an absolute pleasure working with the City of Newark and The Michael’s Organization on this project,” stated Mark Bess, AIA, NCARB, Director of Netta Architects Multi-Family Housing Studio. “All stakeholders were completely aligned towards one goal _ improving the housing and community fabric within Newark.”

Boulevard West will set the stage for continued development of the Belmont neighborhood with a site design that enhances the pedestrian experience and focuses on the ground plane, the intersection of the two streets, and the pedestrian experience, introducing the building to the residents and users of the retail component along Irvine Turner Blvd. The new building is set back from the property line along both facades, creating an urban space and defining the City streetscape with decorative paving, planting, benches and site lighting.

On Twitter Mayor @rasjbaraka joined the Newark Housing Authority to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Boulevard West. #NewarkForward.

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Roselle, New Jersey (April 20, 2017) – Netta Architects, along with various State, County and Local elected officials, Borough of Roselle school district Board of Education and library employees, and hundreds of life-long residents, proudly participated in the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Mind and Body Complex in Roselle New Jersey.

The Mind and Body Complex is comprised of two public buildings on a contiguous site. The $52 million Complex is being designed, financed and constructed using an innovative Public Private Partnership (P3) model. The Early Childhood Center (Mind) is a 53,000 sq. ft. 28 classroom new school to house the Districts’ Pre-K and Kindergarten students. The Community Center (Body) is an 84,000 sq. ft. multi-use facility that includes a 1,000 seat Gymnasium, Indoor Natatorium (lap pool, activity pool, spa), two-level Fitness Center, Recording Studio and the Boroughs’ Public Library.

“We know of no other comparable facility that has been designed in the State of New Jersey where the residents of Roselle can both educate and foster the health and well-being of their community in one location” stated Nicholas J. Netta, AIA, NCARB, Principal of Netta Architects. “We were extremely proud to be able to help realize the vision of Assemblyman Jamel Holley, and are privileged to have been able to work with the Union County Improvement Authority and AST Development in a truly collaborative effort”

“For a long time, our residents have had to endure less than ideal educational and wellness facilities,” stated Assemblyman Jamel Holley. “Today, with the creative talents of Netta Architects, we can finally envision this state-of-the-art facility that will serve our community for many years to come.”

“The planning and design of this facility was truly an integrated team effort,” noted Larry Uher, AIA, K-12 Studio Leader of Netta Architects, “From the beginning all stakeholders were fully vested in making this a world class educational facility and a unique model for combining lifelong learning and wellness to serve a community.”

The project is anticipated to be completed by September of 2018.

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Designed for both learning and competition, the space features professional gaming stations with high-performance PCs, consoles, and industry-grade software, immersive lighting and audio systems, ergonomic gaming chairs for maximum comfort and performance, and fire-rated glass vision panels that allow students to experience esports in action. This dynamic facility prepares students for careers in game design, software engineering, digital media, and the growing esports industry, fostering teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity in an interactive environment. Netta Architects continues to push the boundaries of educational design, delivering innovative spaces that enhance learning, engagement, and career readiness in the digital age.

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