48 apartments proposed for Capitol Trail

A developer is proposing to build 48 apartments on Capitol Trail.

The plan, filed in late July, calls for three, three-story buildings each with parking on the first level and 16 apartments on the upper floors. The 3.5-acre property at 509 Capitol Trail is mostly wooded, with one single-family house that would be demolished.

Property records show that the site is owned by an LLC connected to Eric Schwab, who also owns the adjacent Capitol Plaza Professional Center, which includes retail space, offices and apartments.

The plan will be reviewed by the planning department and then go to the planning commission and city council for approval, at which time members of the public can weigh in on the proposal.

It's not clear from the submitted plans what the developer's target market will be. However, the plan is a relative rarity in Newark in recent years – apartments proposed for an area not traditionally associated with university students.

The site is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, including Stafford, Windy Hills and Laura's Glen.

The property to the east, 515 Capitol Trail, is slated for redevelopment into offices and storage garages for Allura Bath and Kitchen. The developer of that site had initially proposed building townhouses there but changed course after getting pushback from elected officials.

However, during a June meeting on the Allura proposal, two residents of Capitol Trail argued that the area is a perfect location for more housing, noting it is in walking distance to Newark High School, downtown businesses and the library.