Plans to bring changes to a public housing complex that has stood near the Passaic River in Newark’s East Ward for more than seven decades continue to remain, but few details have been publicly released recently about the project.
A legal notice states a “proposed project consists of the demolition and redevelopment of Millard E. Terrell Homes,” which are located on an 11.96-acre site at 59-97 Chapel Street. However, according to the notice, “the specific redevelopment plan is unknown and qualifications and proposals have been solicited from private development teams to act as the developer, in partnership with the Newark Housing Authority [NHA] and various other stakeholders.”
Since this matter relates to activity in a floodplain, public comment is reportedly being accepted by Newark Engineering Director Phillip Scott at [email protected] until Tuesday, May 5.
This notice and other recent notices regarding the redevelopment did not mention how many buildings on the premises could be torn down. Last year, TAPinto Newark reported that a plan called for rehabilitating three buildings with 60 units and tearing down and replacing other structures that include a total of 215 units. A previous plan called for demolishing the Terrell Homes complex altogether.
The draft of the NHA’s annual plan for 2020 stated that 19,591 applicants were on the authority’s waiting lists for low-income public housing. The plan also showed that “the NHA has forwarded an application for the demolition/disposition of approximately 275 units at Terrell Homes” and that the NHA “anticipates that the site’s future development plans will include a mixed finance development with both commercial and housing opportunities.”
Elsewhere in the city, a “potential development partner” was expected to tour the former Seth Boyden housing projects in the South Ward back in February, according to a public notice that was issued at the time.
