Work at Coventry Commons, a $60M apartment project located on Harrison Street in Newark, hit a delay earlier this year due to contamination found on parts of the site.

Reports indicated "volatile organic compounds" were present in soil, vapor, and groundwater tests which led developers and state agencies to halt portions of the project while remediation plans were put in place.

An expedited cleanup plan, proposed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, has been in-progress since March, but Newark Code Enforcement Officer Joe Vanni says work continues in other areas of property not impacted by the remediation efforts.

The former Reed Manufacturing building, later home to Sarah Coventry, was known for its enamelware jewelry and is listed on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places. 

The 5.3 acre site is now slated to become 101 residential apartments funded by a number of local and state agencies including Empire State Development and NYSERDA. Nearly $11.5 million in state and federal tax credits were facilitated by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation with low-income housing credits further aiding the project.

Since it was first announced, residents have questioned the high price tag for the project, but local and state officials have all echoed the need for more affordable housing in the area in addition to the preservation of an important part of Newark’s history and landscape.

The initial time line for the project estimated its completion by the end of this summer, but those involved now recognize this will likely shift by at least a few months.

Ben Lockwood at Housing Visions, one of the agencies involved with the new complex, says work is about 75% complete. Asked how the contamination cleanup impacted costs, Lockwood says it certainly increased the bottom line, but that they were still within their budget for the project.

"Our goal is still the end of the year. We are moving and I feel good about it. We’re excited to be able to finish it up."

Lockwood added they plan to begin accepting applications for the housing lottery by the end of the summer and that more information will be shared closer to that date.

More project information can be found on the village’s website at villageofnewarkny.gov/economic-development/page/coventry-commons/ or housingvisions.org/projects/coventry-commons/.