Wednesday saw the grand opening of “The Pillars,” a 15,000-square-foot retail hub formed from the collaboration of Audible and the City of Newark.
The Pillars is located on the ground floor of the office tower at 33 Washington St., next to the Newark Museum of Art. This new destination currently houses three businesses: Tansy, an artisanal garden and home goods store; Pooka, a natural beauty products store; and Heal Haus, a holistic wellness and mental health center. A food and beverage spot will also open in the Pillars in 2026.
Aisha Glover, Audible’s global head of urban innovation, stated that development for the Pillars began in 2021. Headquartered in Newark since 2007, Audible sought to create “a catalyst for development” that attracts small, diverse business owners to serve the needs of the city’s residents.
“We wanted both retailers that had a strong track record, but we also wanted the experience,” Glover told New Jersey Urban News. “We wanted them to have something beyond a single product. But to be bringing people in regularly for events or programs or experiences…. So it’s not just a one-and-done, and that was one of the key things that went into selecting this brand.”
Audible CEO Bob Carrigan described The Pillars as a “dynamic, new retail hub that will serve local businesses, residents, and visitors alike while celebrating [Newark’s] spirit of innovation.”
“We’re delighted to bring this space to Newark, adding to the incredible momentum building as the city continues to emerge as the premier destination for entrepreneurship, culture, and creativity,” Carrigan added.
This ceremony also featured local leaders who oversaw the development of The Pillars, including Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Deputy Mayor, New Jersey Senator Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, and Newark Councilmembers Lawrence Crumb and Carlos Gonzalez.
Expressing their gratitude to Audible, both Ruiz and Baraka highlighted The Pillars as an example of corporations and government working together to support communities and local businesses.
“We always talk about businesses wanting to get up off the floor,” said Ruiz, “but if they don’t have the proper shoes on the foundation to take off, we’re never going to get a running start at the starting line. That’s the goal of the government.”
“As you look at what’s happening here,” said Baraka, “you take a look [at] what’s happening next door at the [Newark museum and see all the development happening…you see that the art institutions, the corporations that have bought into what we are trying to do in the City of Newark, have decided to work collaboratively to lift our city up economically, socially, mentally, spiritually, right across the street, by the way, from Harriet Tubman Square.”
The Pillars is one of Audible’s multiple efforts to invigorate Harriet Tubman Square and Newark, as a whole. These efforts include farmers’ markets and tech meetups that help city residents learn, connect, and collaborate.
Audible has also invested in new, young workers with its Future Leaders program, which has provided educational and economic opportunities for Newark high school students with paid careers at the company.
According to Carrigan, Audible has reportedly generated nearly $2 billion annually in economic impacts in Newark. However, he describes the Pillars as Audible’s “ambitious investment yet” in Newark.
Shawna Christian, the founder of Tansy, claimed the Pillars is a “bold endeavor that will start an economic boom in Harriet Tubman Square, transforming it into what it was going to be before the recession caused by COVID-19.
Indeed, the Pillars have presented an exciting new public space that caters to the community and supports small businesses. However, the Pillars are only the beginning. Audible plans to bring in more businesses to the Harriet Tubman Square area, having signed over 25 leases supporting retail and startups in the entire neighborhood.
“We’re trying to build an ecosystem. We’re trying to create more jobs and opportunities for neighbors and amenities for our neighbors, employees, visitors, and students alike,” said Glover.