I don’t see it recovering, primarily because potential investors see no hope in it. After they duped the NJ Devils to play hockey there (and after fighting to wring revenue from them, the owner publicly stated he would never have moved there if he knew they’d do that), the NJ Nets simply left NJ to play in Brooklyn - despite statewide pleas for them to move to Newark instead. Just because residents play basketball doesn’t mean they’ll be paying customers/consumers; in fact, the location would probably lower attendance considerably. The arena in Newark doesn’t have much parking; they really thought they’d force sheeple onto mass transit to attend events there (similar to the Garden in NYC, but with a very different fan base). They have to use companies’ lots in the area for parking, and then fans would wait blocks away for a shuttle - easy pickings for the ferals. When they built the PAC (Performing Arts Center) in downtown Newark, they made sure parking was available, and visitors could easily get in and out on Route 280 - the target market was wealthy residents of western Essex County (West Orange, Livingston, etc. - people who would NOT wait for a shuttle on some remote corner).
BTW, a similar issue arose with the Lautenberg “Mausoleum” (I like that - thank you); they provided little parking, intending for people to arrive and leave on mass transit, and it was a ghost town - the concessions weren’t making money, and eventually they accepted reality and put in a lot more parking (they never originally wanted it to become a “park and ride”, and now it is - and it is being utilized much more).
You’ll have to write a history of this area - very sad, indeed. I gave up on NJ and Newark in particular after that horrendous murder in the parking lot at Short Hills Mall at Christmas time by Newark ghetto rats, remember? It broke my heart and so disheartened me. That’s when I knew I was finished with this state.
In all the time I’ve passed the Lautenberg station, I’ve never seen any but a hand full of people get on. That’s what made me say: BOONDOGGLE!! Perhaps I was not traveling at the right time; I no longer do rush hour.
I think of my lovely parents who left New York City for NJ in 1960 because of the low taxes and family-friendly atmosphere. My dad worked for Western Electric in Newark.