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1. The Columbus Projects as they were called
were conceived in 1952 and opened in 1955, being supported by then Mayor
Villani and the young congressman Peter Rodino, who later went on to fame
in the Watergate impeachment hearings for Richard Nixon. The projects were
supposed to be a panacea to the old housing stock in Newark's Little Italy
section which surrounded Saint Lucy's Church. Instead, the huge construction
effort ripped the heart out of the community. My family came from that area
and I know well the attachment to that community. It was a tragic end to
a vibrant community. Well meaning city planners tried to do something good
and it swamped the community. Never build high rises. The current mayor
of Newark has gotten rid of them. Others should too. People are not meant
to live like that. Today, neat single family homes have sprung up on the
old project site.
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