Newark charter school expands with 50K-square-foot lease

Newmark Associates helped secure a significant expansion for a charter school in Newark that the firm says was completed in less than 90 days to prepare for the 2023/2024 academic year. 

Newark Educators Community Charter School leased 50,000 square feet of space at 570 Broad St., Cedar Knolls-based Newmark Associates announced Oct. 26. The transaction was managed by brokers Ebony Parham, vice president, and Jeannette Melillo, senior associate. 

According to the woman-owned commercial real estate brokerage, the lease is a significant step in NECCS’s expansion to accommodate a growing student population. 

The charter school opened its doors in the Brick City in 2009. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of the 2021/2022 school year, NECCS had 237 students in Pre-K through fourth grade. Newmark said that the new Broad Street location offers a spacious and modern learning environment. 

In a statement, NECCS School Board President Chalynda Maynard said that the institution was excited to have a new home. 

“The space was strategically chosen by Newmark Associates based on our defined needs,” Maynard explained. “This space meets all our needs, enabling us to provide designated spaces and rooms for enrichment programs. Our children now have a designated dance studio, music room and science lab!” 

Owned and operated by The Berger Organization, the 15-story office building is located in downtown Newark, across from a Newark Light Rail station. The building also formerly housed part of the University Heights charter school, which was shut down by the state in 2022. 

“The Berger Organization is very pleased with the leasing of 50,000 square feet to Newark Educators Community Charter School, and looks forward to a long-term relationship with this charter school as a tenant,” landlord Miles Berger said in a statement.  

Newmark credited Phil Neuer of Neuer Law, the attorney representing NECCS, as instrumental in the expedition of the lease negotiations to adhere to the school’s timeline. 

A charter school is a public school that operates under a charter granted by the Commissioner of Education and is independent of the local school district’s board of education, instead governed by an independent board of trustees. According to the state, there are 16 charter schools in Newark. 

“We are thrilled to have secured this outstanding space for NECCS,” said Parham. “This lease is a reflection of our commitment to meeting the needs of our clients and our support for local education.”