The Newark City Council recently voted to approve the sale of several properties scattered throughout the city that are slated for redevelopment. Members of the legislative body voted to approve the sale of six largely dilapidated properties on August 5 despite significant pushback from residents about a lack of transparency.
While the legislation itself was publicly available, the exhibits referenced were not readily available along with the ordinance.
As of August 14, Jersey Digs could not find the exhibits referenced in the law.
After several members of the public questioned why the list of properties for sale was not included in the ordinance, Council President Luis Quintana requested that an official from the city administration submit testimony about the legislation.
Brandi Daniel, a legislative administrator from the city’s Department of Economic and Housing Development, commented that the city intended to sell the following properties:
• 34 Wright Street
• 483 Leslie Street
• 650 South 11th Street
• 55 Kent Street
• 850 South 19th Street
• 307 South 18th Street
Developers must set rent and sale prices at or below 50% of the area median income, according to the ordinance.
Despite objections from the public, the council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance. Council member Michael Silva was absent during the meeting and did not vote on the legislation.
Council member Kelly asked that the properties being sold be listed in the agenda next time the city council has to vote on this type of legislation.
After the ordinance was adopted, Council Member Donna Jackson asked that the Department of Housing and Economic Development engage the public further on the procurement process for the sale and redevelopment of city-owned properties. She also asked that city residents living next to city-owned properties that are sold by the department get first priority in private sales by the city.
Members of the public who submitted testimony about the legislation repeatedly questioned why the addresses and sale price of each individual property were not made public via the city’s Legistar page, where the city makes legislation available for public review.
They also raised concerns about the sale price of the properties that the city has sold in recent years, which they alleged are priced below their market value. A member of the public referenced the Krueger-Scott mansion, which was sold to a private entity six years ago. The mansion, along with the adjacent lots, was sold for approximately $105,000 in 2020. As of 2026, the assessed value of the properties exceeds $13.5 million, according to records from the Essex County Tax Board.
Council Member Patrick Council said during the public hearing that the exhibits referenced in the ordinance had been made readily available, but he understood that some members of the public did not want to look at the website to read the exhibits.
Daniel said that an informational session about the proposal was held in January and that over 100 developers showed interest in the properties. Newark-based developers received priority over non-Newark-based developers, she said.
While members of the city council did not directly address residents’ concerns about transparency during the meeting, the adoption of the ordinance comes after months of Newark residents submitting testimony about the lack of transparency in city land sales and tax incentive deals. Daniel did not disclose the sale price of each property, and council members did not ask for that information to be disclosed before voting.
