About the Project

The City of Newark is developing the Caesar Rodney Residence Hall Complex located at 103 Hillside Road, which closed in the spring of 2015.  The City is under contract to purchase the property and has proposed a plan for development of the site, which will integrate a state of the art stormwater management facility along with recreational and educational components. 

The City implemented a robust public participation program to re-imagine the site and make the final product something residents of and visitors to Newark will proudly utilize for years to come. The public participation included three workshops held over several months in fall 2017 to collaborate on the design and amenities of the new site. All materials from those workshops are posted below. 

Following the public participation program, a final concept was presented to Council on December 11, 2017. By incorporating input from the public, elected officials, and City staff, the final plan includes a combination of items balancing community recreation, infrastructure, and stormwater needs. Integration with the surroundings, existing conditions, and consideration of environmental and natural resources are also included in the final design. The City has been approved to utilize State Revolving Loan Funds through the referendum process, which was completed June 2018, for the purchase and development of the site.

Demolition Air Monitoring

Up-to-date air monitoring results may be found on the Rodney Complex Demolition: Air Monitoring Summary Table.

Public Workshop: Rodney Stormwater Pond and Park Project

4:00 p.m. - 7 p.m., Wednesday, August 21, 2019 The Rodney Stormwater Pond and Park Project was included in the 2018 list of Referendum Projects. Since the passing of the referendum, City staff have been working on the plans and specifications for the Rodney Stormwater Pond and Park based on public feedback. Demolition of the Rodney Buildings will begin in September of 2019. This public workshop will inform residents on the demolition process and also provide updates to the pond and park amenities. Feedback and comments may still be sent via email to RodneySite@jmt.com. Below are the presentation boards and the PowerPoint presentation provided at the most recent workshop.  To learn more, please click on an image for closer look.

Rodney Tree Evaluation

The City of Newark International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Staff member evaluated all the trees in the park area. The Rodney Tree Evaluation is based on the draft plan of the project and was completed on March 19.

Brownfield Program

The city has entered into a Brownfield Development Agreement (BDA) to help fund the mitigation of hazardous material from the site. Environmental remediation and began in December 2018. For complete information on the Brownfield Program please visit the environment monitoring results page.

2018 Capital Project Referendum

Funding for this project was subject to the 2018 Capital Referendum.

Please submit questions or comments about the project by emailing RodneySite@jmt.com – we look forward to hearing from you!

Public Workshop #3 - Presentation of the Preferred Concept for the New Site and Next Steps
Wednesday, November 8, 2017 6 – 8 p.m., City Hall

Public Workshop #2 - Presentation of Concepts for the New Site
Thursday, September 28, 2017, from 6 – 8 p.m., City Hall
Presentation updated Oct 2, 2017

Public Workshop #1 - What Do You Want to See on the New Site?
Tuesday, July 25, 2017, from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., City Hall
Agenda/Fact Sheet - Workshop #1