Newark City Council Approved North Chapel Apartment Project
The city council voted 6-1 to allow a new four-story building to replace five aging rental units on North Chapel Street.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Apartments
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Newark City Council members have approved the construction of a four-story, 30-unit apartment building at 24-30 N. Chapel St. The new structure will replace two duplexes and one house to accommodate graduate students and young professionals.
Why it matters
The development aims to replace aging, functionally obsolete properties with modern housing. This project involves rezoning the site to a central business district designation to increase density near the city center.
The approved development spans four stories and includes 66 bedrooms alongside 33 parking spaces. Developers secured approval after redesigning the entrance and adding brick to the side façades of the planned structure.
The players
Nikola Slijepcevic
He is the developer responsible for the North Chapel Street apartment project.
Newark City Council
This is the local legislative body that holds the authority to approve zoning changes and building projects within the city.
The details
The project developer, Nikola Slijepcevic, will demolish five existing rental units to make way for the new construction. Following an August deadlock by the planning commission, the revised design earned council support for its aesthetic updates and zoning change.
Timeline
The planning commission deadlocked on the project recommendation in August 2026.
The Newark City Council approved the apartment building project on October 12, 2026.
Culture Shift
This development represents a broader push toward increasing urban density to meet the housing demands of transient graduate populations. It reflects a shift away from traditional small-scale housing toward modern, high-density zoning in expanding university-adjacent markets.
Area residents can expect construction activity at the 24-30 N. Chapel St. site once development begins. The addition of 30 units near the city center aims to improve local housing availability for students and young professionals.
The takeaway
This approval marks a significant change for the North Chapel Street corridor as the city prioritizes higher-density housing. Residents living nearby should note that future developments in this area may follow similar zoning changes to accommodate growing populations.
Further reading
Learn more about local residential growth by visiting the Apartments section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newark Post.
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