A neighborhood situated just north of Downtown Newark could potentially become the site of one of the tallest buildings in the state’s largest city.

The Newark Central Planning Board is scheduled to hear a proposal later this month involving an application to redevelop seven properties in the Lower Broadway community. A firm called 96 Clay Partnership, LLC is seeking approval in connection with a proposed 40-story development at 94 Clay Street, 1239, 1241, and 1243 McCarter Highway/Route 21, and 316-320, 322-326, and 328-330 Mount Pleasant Avenue, according to a legal notice. The building that is being planned would consist of 484 residential units and ground-floor commercial space.

State business filings show that 96 Clay Partnership, LLC was incorporated in October 2019. Although the notice lists the company as the owner of premises, municipal tax records state that six of the tracts are owned by Nutley-based 96 Clay Street, LLC while the seventh is owned by Best Holdings Corp. The site currently includes 96 Clay Cabinetry and an automotive business.

Should this project end up being approved and ultimately constructed by the developer, it would be the first high-rise constructed in this immediate area north of I-280 since the Pavilion and Colonnade Apartments were built close to six decades ago. Located not far from the Lower Broadway business district, the Newark Broad Street train and light rail stations, and the Clay Street Bridge to Hudson County, the seven properties are situated in an area that remains heavily industrial but is seeing an increasing residential and retail presence.

Although not to the extent of other areas of Newark, over the last few years, this vicinity has seen several mixed-use development plans. For instance, the 84-unit Spring Street Commons project is currently under construction across Clay Street from where the 40-story development could be built while plans were revealed last year for a complex with over 250 units along Broad Street near the neighborhood’s Burger King location.

The Newark Central Planning Board is scheduled to hear 96 Clay Partnership, LLC’s application on Monday, February 24, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Note to readers: The dates that applications are scheduled to be heard by the Newark Central Planning Board and other commissions are subject to change.