South Ward Wellness Center

The South Ward Wellness Center is a 45,000 square foot multi-use facility that will bring a suite of preventative and primary health care services to residents of Newark, NJ.

The Center will include:

• A branch of the Newark YMCA, offering fitness and wellness options to South Ward residents;
• Prenatal care, maternal care, and support programs offered by South Ward Healthy Beginnings;
• A 12,000sf Federally Qualified Health Center operated by St. James Health, that will offer medical care to individuals and families, regardless of patients’ ability to pay.

Thriven Design is providing comprehensive architectural, engineering, and interior design services for the project, which will transform the corner of Clinton Avenue and Bergen Streets in Newark into a four-story development with a significant focus on resilient and sustainable design.

The South Ward Wellness Center is being developed by the BRICK (Building Resilient Intelligent Creative Kids) Education Network, a 14-year old charter school management organization located in Newark, NJ. SInce its founding in 2010, the organization’s focus has expanded beyond education to the holistic needs of children and families in Newark’s South Ward.

In 2018, BRICK created the nonprofit South Ward Promise Neighborhood, a coalition of more than 25 South Ward organizations, to address community housing, healthcare, and community support services. The South Ward Wellness Center building will also provide office space for BRICK and South Ward Promise Neighborhood partners.