New housing, retail, and commercial spaces will be coming soon to a sprawling facility along the banks of the Passaic River, as a Queens-based developer will commence construction shortly on a project that’s looking to re-imagine the area’s industrial heritage.

Last October, we reported on plans to revitalize what’s known as the Clark Mill Complex at 900 Passaic Avenue in East Newark. The 13 acres of land on the block once housed what was the country’s largest thread manufacturing firm.

The brick industrial buildings on the land were constructed in 1875 and are part of East Newark’s Clark Thread Company Historic District, which is listed on both the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places. The East Newark Planning Board unanimously approved an application to revitalize the land via owners East Newark Town Center LLC, an affiliate of Alma Realty.

Designed by Haldeon-based Bleeker Architectural Group, the development will adaptively reuse eight structures on the property into 616 residential units, 91,022 square feet of retail space, and 4,388 square feet of commercial space. The rental apartments at the East Newark Town Center will consist of one- and two-bedroom units sporting 14-foot ceilings, highlighting the industrial attributes of the existing buildings.

The transformation of the brick complex will include the restoration of a smokestack from the property’s past, but also includes construction of a new parking garage with over 1,350 spaces that sports a rooftop terrace and tennis courts. In addition, 105,769 square feet of “vacant space for an undetermined future use” is included in the approvals.

The property is just a block from the Tops Diner and located in the neighborhood where the East Newark, Kearny, and Harrison borders collide. Newark Broad Street’s train station is just over a half-mile walk away via the Clay Street Bridge and Harrison’s PATH station is roughly a mile from the premises.

While neighboring Harrison has a well-publicized building boom underway, the impending redevelopment of the Clark Mill Complex is easily the largest project to hit East Newark in decades. It’s set to kick off soon; the Jersey Journal reports that construction of the East Newark Town Center will begin as soon as permits are issued.