The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has announced the opening of a community outreach office in Newark in support of the ongoing $2.7 billion Terminal One construction project at Newark Liberty International Airport.

According to the agency, the office will allow residents and others to get in touch with agency staff, explore job or business opportunities, and obtain information on the project, which aims to replace legacy infrastructure.

A second office will eventually open in Elizabeth, as well.

“We are taking an unprecedented step to actively engage with those who live or work in the neighborhoods adjacent to our legacy facilities that are being or will be rebuilt,” Executive Director Rick Cotton said in a prepared statement. “We recognize these major construction projects impact the local communities that surround these facilities and we want economic activities from our projects to yield benefits to local communities.”

Cotton went on to say that the outreach center will aid the agency priority to further diversity and inclusion initiatives by connecting minority- and women-owned business enterprise contractors to available, project-related construction work.

The Authority said it handled 138 million passengers in 2018, marking almost four percent growth over the previous year’s record high.