A long-stalled adaptive reuse project in Newark will be seeing a construction restart soon as an endeavor aiming to revitalize a former hospital will be moving forward once again.
The developers behind the former St. Michael’s Medical Center at 292-306 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard have secured $12 million in state tax credits to transform the long-vacant historic facility in Newark into a mixed-use, mixed-income complex in the University Heights neighborhood.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority awarded the Historic Property Reinvestment Program to Ellavoz Impact Capital, who took over the property earlier this year from previous owners The Hanini Group. Jersey Digs profiled the latest plans for the property, which has set empty for more than two decades.
The ground floor of the building, which will be called Newark Commons, will include community amenity space and a 4,500-square-foot retail space facing Central Avenue, while the remaining floors will feature 42 residential units. 20% of the residences will be designated as affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents.
“Newark Commons demonstrates how the public and private sector can collaborate to create housing that is priced affordably and able to meet the needs and demands of today’s workforce and young professionals,” said Ellavoz Impact Capital President Jeffrey Crum. “NJEDA’s investment also enables us to preserve an iconic and historic structure while adapting it to better serve Newark’s growing population and economy.”
Newark’s City Council approved a 30-year tax abatement for the project back in September, and construction is expected to begin on what is hopefully the final version of the development in early 2026.
