The name Newark doesn’t exactly conjure up images of a pretty, downtown main street. Newark Avenue, much like its namesake city, is in need of a facelift. The city of Newark might have Cory Booker, but the Avenue has Steven Fulop. The Ward E councilman has a plan to clean up the former retail center of the downtown with new sidewalks, streetscape accessories, and fancy old lights.

Yet, the effort might need more than a few benches and trash cans — though that would be a nice place to start. Take for example the empty lot at 209 Newark Avenue. You may not have heard of it, but you’ve probably seen it. Just west of Jersey Avenue, the site has been approved for apartments. But the current owner it seems has more interest in selling the land than actually building anything. And for a cool