Construction is expected to start this week on the second phase of Teachers Village in Newark, the $150 million project in the heart of the city that will combine charter schools with housing pre-marketed for educators.

Hollister Construction Services said it will start erecting the skeleton for three residential buildings this week near the intersection of Halsey and Williams streets.

“The entire neighborhood is under construction and being revitalized and re-energized, and we could not be happier with the progress,” said Ron Beit, who heads RBH Group, which is developing the site.

The project, which broke ground in February 2012, envisions a mini city with three schools, residential housing and a retail corridor just blocks from the commercial heart of downtown Newark.

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The first two buildings of the eight-building neighborhood are schools, which are scheduled to be finished by the end of June, according to Beit.

The buildings will be leased to TEAM Academy, Discover Charter School, Great Oaks Charter School and the Council for Higher Education in Newark. Beit said he expects 1,000 students to attend the schools.

The second phase will include the residential and retail buildings.

Chris Johnson, Hollister chief executive, said construction is scheduled to be finished by next spring.

The three new buildings will include 60,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floors and 250,000 square feet of studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments.

During peak construction, as many as 200 workers will be on the job, Johnson said.

Kieran Flanagan, Hollister president and co-founder along with Johnson, called it "an exciting project to be involved in. It's right in the heart of downtown. It's the beginning of a bright new horizon for the city."

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Flanagan also mentioned the challenges of working in tight urban quarters. “It’s always a challenge to get equipment in and out,” he said, “and at the same time we’re digging up the roads for utility services.”

Hollister is using a modified structural framing and concrete floor construction system, which allows the buildings to be raised floor by floor without bringing in heavy equipment.

Beit, the developer, said retail activity has been “brisk” and more details will be available in a few weeks.