Newark Approves Townhouses Near Malcolm X Shabazz High School

For years, the corner of Milford Avenue and West Bigelow Street has sat empty, a patch of weeds and cracked asphalt just a short walk from Malcolm X Shabazz High School. This week, that lot finally has a future.

The Newark Central Planning Board voted unanimously on September 14 to approve a final site plan for three three-story townhouses at 150-154 Milford Avenue. Each building will front Milford Avenue and include a driveway, replacing the vacant parcel with six new rental units — two per townhouse.

Here’s how the units break down: The ground floor of each townhouse will hold a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment with its own laundry room and a one-car garage. The second and third stories will each be a 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom unit with a single bathroom and a laundry room. So each building will have three apartments stacked vertically.

The developer, J&J Builders, first submitted plans in April, requesting 10 variances — for things like insufficient lot area, setbacks, lot coverage, transparency, and parking — plus two design waivers. That’s a lot of exceptions for a project of this size, but during the meeting, the project’s architect, Jorge Fernandes, told the board the applicant was willing to make changes. He said J&J would add more windows on the eastern, northern, and southern sides to meet the city’s transparency rules, follow the city’s screening and fencing ordinances, and plant two trees along West Bigelow Street and three along Milford Avenue.

Those concessions helped move the project forward. The board’s approval doesn’t require the developer to start construction by any deadline — so neighbors shouldn’t expect bulldozers tomorrow. But the green light means the project has cleared its biggest regulatory hurdle.

Why is this corner so hard to develop?

The area around Malcolm X Shabazz High School has seen its share of proposals over the years. In May 2019, Jersey Digs reported that the dilapidated four-story building at 446-450 Irvine Turner Boulevard — a few blocks west — was pitched for conversion into 29 apartments with 25 parking spaces. In August 2020, a firm called HK Auto Group wanted to turn the car dealership at 89-91 and 93 Elizabeth Avenue, a few blocks north, into a mixed-use building with 29 apartments and 2,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

None of those projects have broken ground. That’s not unusual in this part of the South Ward, where irregular lot sizes, aging infrastructure, and tight parking make developers ask for variances. Each time, the planning board has to weigh whether the exceptions are reasonable or whether they’ll burden the neighborhood. This time, the developer agreed to meet the city’s standards rather than push for every waiver — a shift that likely made approval easier.

What it means for people who live nearby

If you live on Milford Avenue or West Bigelow Street, the most immediate change will be construction noise and traffic once building starts. But the long-term effect is more housing in a neighborhood that needs it. Six new apartments — three one-bedrooms and three two-bedrooms — won’t solve the city’s housing shortage, but they’ll add rental options near a high school, bus lines, and small businesses.

For parents walking kids to Shabazz, or commuters catching the bus on Elizabeth Avenue, the new townhouses mean fewer empty lots and more eyes on the street. That’s often a good thing for safety. But it also means more cars looking for parking on blocks that already feel tight. The developer’s plan includes one garage per unit, which helps, but street parking will still be at a premium.

What people are saying

At the planning board meeting, Fernandes emphasized the changes his client made to win approval. “We are willing to comply” with transparency, screening, and fencing rules, he told the board, according to the meeting record. The board didn’t debate the project at length before voting. The unanimous approval suggests members were satisfied with the revised plans.

Neighbors who spoke with Jersey Digs after the meeting had mixed feelings. Some welcomed the end of a long-vacant lot. Others worried about construction timelines and whether the new buildings would fit the block’s character. J&J Builders did not respond to requests for comment about when construction might begin.

What comes next

The planning board’s approval is final, but construction isn’t guaranteed. The developer still needs building permits and must follow through on the promised windows, trees, and fencing. Residents who want updates can check the city’s planning department website or attend future Central Planning Board meetings, where site plan approvals are often revisited if changes are made. If you see something on the lot — or have concerns about the project — you can contact the South Ward office or the city’s Division of Planning.

For now, the corner of Milford and West Bigelow is still quiet. But the paperwork is done, and the lot’s next chapter is written. Whether it becomes a welcome addition or another stalled proposal depends on what happens next.