The Gateway Center was conceived as part of the "New Newark". Built in an
urban renewal area that was considered blighted it was an early attempt to restore the reputation and rejuvenate business in
Newark, which experienced severe
urban decay in the previous decade.
Prudential Insurance originally committed $18 million of long-term financing. The first phase included Gateway One, a concourse and shopping mall, and the Downtowner Motor Inn, which later became a Hilton hotel. The second phase, Gateway Two, was offices of
Western Electric Company. The complex was self-contained, allowing tenants and visitors to remain within the interior. A pedestrian mall one level above the street connected all parts of the complex connected to Penn Station by a glass-enclosed skywalk that extended over Raymond Plaza. Another skywalk extended across
McCarter Highway to connect Gateway One and Gateway Two. The skywalks were intended to separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic and provided safety and security to wary commuters. These were completed by 1972. Gateway Three and Gateway Four were completed in 1985 and 1988, respectively. Original plans called for a Gateway Five and a Gateway Six, but are unbuilt, the available land leased as parking areas near the
Prudential Center and
Mulberry Commons. In 2019, a major renovation of the public spaces began to better integrate the complex into the street level of the city. ==2 Gateway==