KALA Pilates

For generations, Halsey Street has been woven into the commercial and cultural fabric of Newark. Located between Broad and Washington Streets, the corridor traces its history back to the city's earliest development and later became part of Newark's thriving downtown shopping district. Through different eras, Halsey and the streets surrounding it have served locals as places to shop, eat, work, gather, and create.

Today, walking down Halsey Street tells a story of both preservation and progress. Historic brick facades sit alongside a vibrant mix of restaurants, cafés, independent retailers, residential communities, and cultural institutions. The result isn't simply a commercial corridor; it is a living ecosystem.

And this September, wellness becomes a key part of that ecosystem.

Hanini Group is proud to welcome KALA Pilates, a Latina-owned boutique fitness and wellness studio, to the heart of Downtown Newark.

KALA introduces a dedicated wellness concept to the corridor, focusing on movement, community, and accessibility. The studio’s offerings will include:

Rather than treating fitness as just a workout, KALA is designed as a space where movement naturally integrates into a person's lifestyle and community. For Downtown Newark, that distinction matters.

One of the most visible examples is the redevelopment of the historic Hahne & Co. building, which reopened in 2017 after decades of vacancy as a mixed-use destination incorporating residential apartments, retail, and Rutgers-Newark's Express Newark cultural space. That redevelopment—undertaken by L+M Development Partners in partnership with Hanini Group—represented a core philosophy for Newark's future: historic buildings do not have to be erased for neighborhoods to evolve. They can be thoughtfully adapted to support the next generation of residents, entrepreneurs, and institutions.

The same philosophy continues to shape Halsey Street today. The Newark Alliance describes Halsey and the surrounding Arts and Education District as an emerging destination for arts, fashion, design, entertainment, and food, with an emphasis on local ownership and wealth creation.

But as Downtown Newark matures, another category is becoming essential: wellness.

A thriving downtown cannot be built around a single type of experience. While housing, dining, and retail are vital, successful neighborhoods also need businesses that people incorporate into their daily routines.

A resident should be able to leave their apartment in the morning, grab coffee, go to work, take a Pilates class, shop locally, and have dinner—all without leaving their neighborhood. That is the difference between simple real estate development and genuine placemaking.

Halsey Street already benefits from its proximity to major Newark institutions, universities, employers, parks, and a growing residential population. It is also home to a diverse collection of entrepreneurs that give the street its distinct character. KALA adds a crucial layer to this environment. Instead of leaving Downtown Newark to access a boutique wellness experience, residents and visitors can find it right here.

For years, urban revitalization conversations have heavily focused on housing, restaurants, and nightlife. While those remain important, the next phase of a mature downtown requires more. People increasingly choose neighborhoods based on quality of life, asking themselves:

Wellness businesses play a unique role in answering those questions because they create something traditional retail cannot always replicate: routine. A restaurant may bring someone to Halsey Street once a month, but a Pilates, yoga, or Barre membership brings them multiple times a week. This creates consistent pedestrian activity, introduces customers to neighboring businesses, and gives people another reason to make Downtown Newark part of their daily lives.

For Hanini Group, investing in Newark has never been solely about buildings. The larger opportunity is helping create an environment where people have a reason to stay. Stay after work. Stay downtown on weekends. Stay to exercise. And ultimately, stay to call Newark home.

The growth of Halsey Street illustrates what is possible when residential development, historic preservation, entrepreneurship, culture, and wellness support one another. As KALA Pilates prepares to open its doors at 89 Halsey Street this September, we are excited to see another dimension of this ecosystem take shape.

The future of Downtown Newark isn't about creating one destination. It's about building a neighborhood where everything you need to live well exists within a few blocks.