Promoting Economic Development in Newark's Communities

Taped on the campus of NJIT, Steve Adubato goes One-on-One with Aisha Glover, President and CEO of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation, to discuss how the organization promotes economic development within small Newark communities.

9/26/17 #2078

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

"I love that music. Hi, I'm Steve Adubato. We are at NJIT, New Jersey Institute of Technology, talking about innovation, talking about leaders in the City of Newark, and the state and the nation, and we're joined by Aisha Glover, who is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Newark Community Economic Development Corporation. How you doing? Fantastic. You just told me, before we got on the air. Mm hmm. I... you see, you think you tell me things and I won't say it. [laughter] You're originally from Brooklyn? I am. But you have fallen in love with the City of Newark? I have. Because? Because I'm a sucker! No. Come on! Because how can you not? How can you not? There's just... Tell folks who don't get it. I don't understand folks that don't get it. I do think that maybe they just haven't come to Newark in a little while? Or they're listening to other voices. But it's just overwhelming. It's fantastic. I have experienced the boom in Brooklyn, so I know what that looks like, and that feels like. And so you know, about a year and a half ago, I said I have to be in Newark. It's really not just the next "it city" but it's where we need to be right now. Particularly during this moment of growth. So it's exciting. Describe your organization. So the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation is a 501c3, separate nonprofit, works kind of hand in glove with the city to carry out the mayor's economic development vision. So we do everything from real estate development and planning, to business development and entrepreneurship. So you know, we're working with the small local mom and pop shops, all the way up to the larger corporations, and educational institutions such as NJIT. From an economic development perspective, what's hot in the city right now? Oh goodness. Everything. So real estate is booming. I think across the country you know, industrial real estate is the hottest market than it's ever been. So we're certainly seeing a lot of demand, a lot of inquiries. Since I've been here, I've toured a handful of folks actually from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, but we get tons of... You brought them over? No, I have not yet brought them over. But that those requests, those inquiries, are coming in. Okay. We see a lot of companies relocating, being squeezed out of New York City. So I think, really, the hottest thing right now in Newark is the real estate. And then on, kind of, boots on the ground, there's an entrepreneurial ecosystem that's just buzzing. What does that mean? It means that Newark is ripe with that..."