Extreme Makeover at James C. White Community Room

Newark, NJ – October 3, 2007 – Over the several weeks, anticipation has been building at the James C. White apartments as the residents await the unveiling of the newly remodeled community room.  The community room had not been updated since the construction of the building in 1976.  Mayor Cory C. Booker addressed the gathered residents reminding them that his political career really started in that community and that the seniors “deserved the best and now this community room reflects that.” 

The makeover consisted of new furniture, a new library, a new industrial kitchen, new floors, wall coverings, including beautiful oak wainscoting.  Modia Butler, Chairman of the NHA Board of Commissioners, was most impressed by the fact that the community room now feels like several comfortable living rooms, although he joked that the new Community room has much nicer televisions than his living room.

 Indeed the redesign was intended to create smaller more usable spaces for the residents,  the large open community room was converted to create many separate sitting areas, a parlor area, a fireplace, the pool table , a library and reading room with a computer with free internet access.

Keith Kinard, Executive Director, said “I hope that everyone understands that this is just a start, I’ll get to other buildings and to the rest of the building, it will take time and money, but our residents deserve nothing less than the best.