NEWARK, NJ - Approval for an 8-story residential building near Lincoln Park was put on hold at a zoning board meeting Thursday to reassess parts of the project, including parking.

M&M Development, based in Newark, wants to add an additional four floors to a vacant warehouse at 84-94 Parkhurst St. The plan would create 58 one and two-bedroom apartments with 11 basement parking spots, 22 spaces for bikes and a jitney drop-off area that would take residents to Newark Penn Station.

The words “Goldsmith Lofts” appeared on site plans that were presented to board members at the meeting.

Sign Up for Newark Newsletter Our newsletter delivers the local news that you can trust. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. You have successfully signed up for the TAPinto Newark Newsletter.

Jennifer Carrillo-Perez, an attorney for the developer, said the project would be part of a new redevelopment plan that is slated for the city. It will be called either Gateway South or the Lincoln Park South Redevelopment Plan, but hasn’t been fully approved yet, she said.

“Part of that is a jitney service that's going to be provided to the residents,” Carillo-Perez said of the city’s slated redevelopment plan. “They're trying to create more density in those areas because there's some abandoned and open areas and warehouses that are under-utilized.”

Zoning board members had concerns over the number of spots that were available for the project and the building’s height. Carillo-Perez asked to adjourn the application after hearing those concerns.

“Eleven spots for 58 units just doesn’t add up for me,” said zoning board member Rosemarie Ruivo,

The project would technically be located in a zoning area that only allows low-rise buildings. It’s directly south of a different area that would allow taller buildings though, said the project’s planner, Christopher Kok. The 8-story building would also act as a sound buffer to traffic on McCarter Highway, he added.





The project’s location is over a mile away from Penn Station. Kok said parking lots for some nearby businesses on McCarter Highway are actually part of the public right of way, so residents would be able to utilize those spot.

"It's very unusual, but it's part of the public right of way,” Kok said of the parking lots.

The plan would also include affordable units, Kok added.

The zoning board agreed to adjourn the application at the request of the developer’s attorney. It’s scheduled to be heard in March 2019.

Find TAPinto Newark on Facebook and Twitter. Download the TAPinto mobile app for Android or iOS.