Ironbound Resilience Hub Project at Ann Street School
PARA LEER EN ESPAÑOL, UTILICE LA HERRAMIENTA DE TRADUCCIÓN EN LA ESQUINA SUPERIOR DERECHA DE LA PÁGINA WEB.PARA LER EM PORTUGUÊS, UTILIZE A FERRAMENTA DE TRADUÇÃO NO CANTO SUPERIOR DIREITO DA PÁGINA.Do you live in the Ironbound neighborhood? We want to hear from you!
COMPLETE OUR SURVEY:
ENGLISH: SurveyMonkey.com/r/IronboundResilience
ESPAÑOL: SurveyMonkey.com/r/ResilienciaIronbound
PORTUGUÊS: SurveyMonkey.com/r/ResilienciaIronboundPT
Project Name: Ironbound Resilience Hub Project at Ann Street School
Project Duration: 2025 - Ongoing
Consultant: Michael Baker International, Inc.
Location: Ann Street School, Newark, NJ 07105
Project Summary: The proposed Ironbound Resilience Hub at Ann Street School will make the area more resilient to flooding, enhance stormwater drainage, and reduce instances of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The Ann Street School Facility will serve as an emergency hub during extreme heat and power outages.
The Ironbound neighborhood is a dense, urban heat island area and sits at a natural topographic depression where stormwater accumulates, making many parts of the neighborhood vulnerable to flooding. In 2021, the remnants of Hurricane Ida brought a record-breaking amount of rainfall to the city, resulting in flooding, CSOs, damage to homes, and vehicles abandoned to rising floodwaters.
This project will help address these stormwater management concerns by establishing the Ironbound Resilience Hub at Ann Street School. A “resilience hub” is a community space that provides direct hazard mitigation benefits and resources before, during, and after climate disruptions, such as flooding and heat waves.
The Ironbound Resilience Hub Project will make the folowing improvements:
Stormwater management system: To address flooding, the project proposes using the large parking lot at Ann Street School for subsurface stormwater storage. An interconnected porous pavement system in Elm Road next to the school will allow stormwater to infiltrate into the soil and to flow into the subsurface stormwater storage within the parking lot. The proposed design will provide an estimated 92,000 cubic feet of flood storage.
Energy improvements: Evaluating heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades for Ann Street School, contributing to its ability to serve as a cooling center during extreme heat conditions.
Power resilience (next phase): In addition to a planned solar array in the school parking lot, the project includes battery storage and electrical upgrades that would allow the school to use solar power as backup electricity during a power outage.
*The City of Newark Department of Water & Sewer Utilities is the primary entity leading the project. Other key partners include Michael Baker International, the Newark Office of Sustainability, the Newark Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and Newark Public Schools.
Project area (marked in blue) proposed for design. Courtesy of Michael Baker International, Inc. and the City of Newark.
Past Community Meetings
TWO public meetings were held to inform the community about how this project with impact the Ironbound neighborhood.
Meeting 1: Wednesday, April 13, 2026, 4:30pm at Van Buren Public Library (140 Van Buren St, Newark, NJ 07105)
Meeting 2: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 6:30pm at Ann Street Elementary School (30 Ann St, Newark, NJ 07105)
Both meetings were held in person and included a VIRTUAL attendance option.
Missed the meeting? Don’t worry! CLICK HERE to see the full presentation.
