It’s hard to pin down what has been the biggest benefit for the bigger and better Newark Alliance, which was created in early July, when the Newark Downtown District and the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau were merged into the Alliance.
It could be the increased partnership with the city of Newark and Invest Newark, the city’s economic development corporation.
It could be a greater diversity of funding channels ensuring a greater diversity of programming and initiatives.
It could be the creation of an even more powerful board of city and state officials and a stronger leadership team.
Newark Alliance CEO Evan Weiss offered a simpler answer: All of the above.
Weiss said all of these benefits have given him and the Alliance something few nonprofits in this category have – the ability to sleep at night.
“At the old Newark Alliance, we were like a lot of nonprofits, we could get in a loop where we don’t quite have enough resources to plan for the longer term,” he said. “The NDD and the GNCVB were in the same spot.
“I felt really good about the work that we did at the Alliance, and the historic work that NDD and GNCVB did as well, but all of us were constrained by the environment we are in. Government programs exist one year, but don’t exist the next year. Private company X has a great year, so they give more locally that year, but not necessarily the next.
“We now have more diversity of revenues. So, if there’s an issue in Washington or Trenton, we can weather them and not have to go through all these, ‘Oh my God’ moments, which unfortunately hit a lot of the sector.”
Put another way: The program stuff is incredibly important, but just making sure the ship is going to be able to keep sailing is the key, Weiss said.
Weiss gave credit to Lata Reddy of Prudential, the longtime board chair of the Alliance, and to longtime supporter RWJBarnabas Health and, of course, Ray Chambers and his foundation. Weiss said the new Alliance also has benefited from the addition of PSEG, Onyx Equities and entrepreneur/developer Adenah Bayoh, as well as having the city’s business administrator and council president on the board.
The impact is real. In late July, the Newark Alliance – along with Invest Newark and the city of Newark’s Arts and Education District – launched an app, Experience Newark: Festivals & Flavors. The season-long initiative is designed to connect the energy of major cultural events and festivals, including Prudential North to Shore Festival, to the city’s thriving restaurant and nightlife scene.
Weiss said it’s a great example of everyone coming together to benefit the city.
“It’s the answer to the classic question: ‘I came to Newark for a Devils game or a K-pop concert, now what?’” he said.
“We’ve tried to give people a very easy to use way to experience Newark when they come here through their phones or our ambassadors. We really believe the user experience on the ground is key.
“This makes it seamless for people and there are incentives, too. If you check in places, there’s a gift card. There are all kinds of different components that try to get people comfortable and excited about being here.”
Which is a solution to this classic problem: How does Newark get more people to visit?
“Newark is just reputationally in a very good place right now,” Weiss said. “People who haven’t been here before or willing to try it. And I feel like we have a very high conversion rate when we can get people excited about what we have here.”
Of course, the Alliance is about more than just fun and food.
Attracting new companies and working to get more affordable housing also is important. Jorge Santos, a veteran of both the N.J. Economic Development Authority and the Newark CEDC (which is now Invest Newark) is leading the effort in a lot of those areas.
“This is such a hot market, but so much of the reason why it’s hot is because of public policy, particularly at the Economic Development Authority and with what Mayor Ras Baraka and Deputy Mayor Allison Ladd have done,” Weiss said.
Weiss said Santos will help the Alliance use both state and city policies and programs to help grow the real estate component in a way that benefits small, medium and large companies – and, most importantly, residents.
Adding more housing, both market rate and affordable, are a key to the future, Weiss said.
“I feel we’re in a very good position where the neighborhoods are, especially considering where other cities are right now,” he said. “Many have super lopsided investment between downtown or where the universities are and the neighborhoods. I think the mayor, using a lot of the tools that the governor has given him, has helped a lot of neighborhoods.”
Speaking of the governor. Phil Murphy soon will be out of office.
Weiss said he is confident both candidates, Mikie Sherrill (D) and Jack Ciattarelli (R), will be supportive of the work the Alliance is doing.
“I think they’re going to do it in different ways, for sure, but I’m confident we will have their commitment,” he said.
And he’s confident the bigger Newark Alliance will continue to get better.
“Partnerships, partnerships, partnerships: That’s what it’s all about,” he said.
“We have a really strong leadership team, which wouldn’t have been possible in the old environment. And I think we have a lot of cool stuff in the pipeline. And now we can work hand in glove with the city, Invest Newark and so many others to help us leverage these initiatives in a way that we couldn’t do before.”
