Developers Bring Wave of Luxury Apartments to Overlooked NJ Communities

Recent years have brought a surge of luxury apartment construction to Newark, East Orange, and Orange, as developers chase residents priced out of Manhattan and New Jersey’s priciest waterfront neighborhoods. The article details how improved transit access, lowered crime rates, and incentives such as tax breaks and PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) programs have encouraged major investment throughout eastern Essex County. Signature projects include Newark’s Urby and Shaquille O’Neal-backed high-rises, plus a revitalized Ironbound area that boasts new residential conversions like Fifty Five Union and Textile Lofts.

Focusing on East Orange, the piece highlights the largest undertaking, The Crossings at Brick Church Station, a nine-acre mixed-use development led by Triangle Equities and Incline Capital. With backing from investors such as Goldman Sachs, The Crossings will deliver 1,000 apartments (20 percent of which are set aside for affordable housing) and over 100,000 square feet of retail. Local officials, including East Orange Mayor Ted Green, see it as a “catalyst for economic growth” that can attract national retailers and activate the downtown area near the transit hub, all while incorporating a community job-training component.

Throughout the region, new residential builds aim to address housing shortages while breathing life into once-neglected commercial corridors. Public and private ventures are converging to finance these projects and renovate critical infrastructure, such as train stations and recreation centers. Officials across Newark, East Orange, and Orange express optimism that this influx of investment will bring a better quality of life for existing residents—enhancing street vitality, creating job opportunities, and adding much-needed affordable units.