From the Wall Street Journal, September 22, 2012 (subscription required):

The largest city in New Jersey has had a tough time shaking its gritty image, but a big bet on its downtown debuts on Monday: A new hotel will open its doors there for the first time in 40 years.

With 150 rooms, the Courtyard by Marriott Newark Downtown will increase the number of hotel rooms in the business district by more than a third. And the $35 million development may also help answer the question of whether Newark can sustain a much-hoped-for revival of its city center.

The Journal notes that like most of Newark’s new developments, the Marriott received tax incentives totaling $9 million from local and state sources. Five Newark commercial projects were granted nearly $400 million in tax incentives from one state program since 2010, the largest amount of any one city.

NJPP president Gordon MacInnes tells the Journal that while NJPP is often critical of tax incentives, he supports their use in a dense city looking to rebuild.

“It’s a sensible step to take,” he says.