Newark's Central Planning Board gave final approval to an eight-story, 670-apartment development that will rise across nearly an entire block in the South Ironbound, clearing the way for the residential project. The $240 million proposal, known as Mulberry Gardens, calls for a parking garage with room for up to 585 vehicles, retail space, and construction that could begin in late 2027 or early 2028.
The board signed off on the final site plan application during its regular meeting on November 9, according to Jersey Digs. The development sits on a 116,756-square-foot assemblage at the intersection of Mulberry and Murray streets, spanning addresses at 502-514 Mulberry Street, 191-219 Astor Street, 161-213 Murray Street, and 48-58 Goble Street. Because of the project's scale, the applicant's professionals told the board it will be delivered across two or more phases.
What the First Phase Will Bring
The initial phase is planned for the portion of the site fronting Mulberry and Murray streets. It would include 246 apartments, the parking garage, retail space, and residential amenities, according to the report. Across the full project, the proposed mix is 278 studios, 184 one-bedroom apartments, 161 two-bedroom apartments, and 47 three-bedroom apartments.
Attorney Elnardo Webster of Connell Folley, representing applicant Mulberry Gardens LLC, told the board the development will include nearly 19,000 square feet of retail space. Webster said the applicant is working to lease that space to a grocery store, though the commercial portion could also be split into as many as four separate pads if a single large tenant doesn't materialize.
Affordable Units and a Tax Abatement Request
Webster said Mulberry Gardens LLC plans to reserve 134 of the 670 apartments for affordable housing and will seek a tax abatement from the city. He also said the applicant's traffic study concluded that the project would not substantially affect existing neighborhood traffic.
Michael Goldblum, a partner at New York City-based Building Studio Architects, is the lead architect. Plans call for a base of bluestone and red brick, with stucco and glass above. Street-facing two- and three-bedroom apartments would have private entrances and stoops; some first-floor units would have private gardens facing a central courtyard. Street-facing units on floors six through eight are planned with private terraces.
Amenities and Sustainability Features
The amenity plans include three rooftop pools, a fitness center, coworking space, a playroom, a party room with a kitchen, gardens, and other outdoor spaces. The design also includes more than 36,000 square feet of green roof and a solar roof of over 6,500 square feet. Newark residents mostly praised the proposal during public comments, and the board approved the plans.
The scale of the approved project marks a significant jump from an earlier version of the proposal at the same address. A 2023 report from The Real Deal described a five-story building planned for 514 Mulberry Street with 367 housing units and a 367-space garage — far smaller than the eight-story, 670-unit version the board just approved.
What the housing records show
A New Jersey Department of Community Affairs summary reports that building permits authorized 2,239 housing units in Essex County in 2019, including 1,864 multifamily units. Those figures are countywide permit authorizations, not completed homes, and do not establish how many units Newark has approved or completed since its 2019 zoning changes: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs data.
The South Ironbound project follows a city council referral in February 2025, when the council voted to send a 514 Mulberry proposal to the Central Planning Board for a preliminary investigation into whether the surrounding East Ward area qualifies as an area in need of redevelopment, according to Citizen Portal. That outlet reported a public commenter had disputed the area-in-need designation at the time.
Part of a Broader Building Boom
Newark's zoning rules have opened the door to projects of this size. A mixed-use zoning ordinance that took effect in early 2019 allows developments up to 11 stories, The Real Deal reported. Other large projects have advanced around the city in recent years, including a separate 11-building proposal from Accurate Builders and Developers calling for 4,200 housing units and 100,000 square feet of commercial space, and the Halo Newark, a three-building, 949-unit rental project at 289 to 301 Washington Street.
Not every big proposal has cleared the board, however. Newark's Planning Board denied a 27-story tower at 56 Park Place after the developer's latest application offered no parking despite zoning rules requiring 157 spaces, Jersey Digs reported. That denial came even as the city has shown some openness to parking-free approvals elsewhere, including two Orange Street high-rises — one 14 stories, one 15 stories — approved without on-site parking in the Broad Street Redevelopment Zone. MVMK Architecture + Design partner Ciaran Kelly has pointed to a broader trend in downtown Newark toward eliminating parking requirements altogether.
