NJ TRANSIT ADVANCES HISTORIC BRICK CHURCH STATION MODERNIZATION
Current Phase Includes Interior Restoration Work, Communications and Security Upgrades in Advance of Major Rehabilitation and Accessibility Project
June 11, 2024
NEWARK, NJ – The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors has committed to transforming the historic Brick Church station into a model of modern transit with new infrastructure that preserves historic features by awarding a contract for improvements to the station building. This comes in advance of a recently announced separate rehabilitation project to make the station fully accessible with high-level platforms and elevators.
“This project underscores our commitment to preserving the historical essence of our Brick Church Station, while equipping it with modern amenities to better serve our community,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “These improvements – combined with significant accessibility enhancements coming soon through the FTA’s generous All Stations Accessibility Program grant – will improve the daily commutes of countless residents, enhancing their quality of life and boosting the local economy in East Orange and beyond.”
The $3,122,603.89 contract with a 5% contingency, which was awarded to John O’Hara Company Inc. of East Orange, includes the restoration of the station building’s interior walls, doors, and ceilings, installation of an historic plaque, electrical work, restroom alterations for ADA compliance, heating equipment, painting, telecommunications and security upgrades.
The contract comes in addition to the $83.1 million Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant awarded last month to replace the current low-level platforms with accessible high-level platforms and add elevators. Other improvements include restoring the historic benches and terrazzo floor as well as the historic windows and providing an art installation.
Rail service through East Orange first began in 1836 as the Morris and Essex Railroad. Matthias Ogden Halsted, a local lawyer, who used the railroad to commute, provided a station for commuters. A new depot was built in 1880 and used until the current station opened on December 18, 1921, after the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad elevated the tracks. The station is named for the nearby Temple of Unified Christians Brick Church, which w designed with brick architecture. The brick headhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 263 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.