Mayor Tony Vauss Joins Development Partners to Launch $22.7 Million Community Delivering 48 Affordable Homes and New Momentum Along the Springfield Avenue Corridor
IRVINGTON, N.J. — A new chapter in Irvington’s continuing transformation will begin on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, when Mayor Tony Vauss and Springfield Gateway Partners officially break ground on a five-story affordable housing community planned for the intersection of 21st Street and Springfield Avenue.

The ceremony will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at 413–421 21st Street, Irvington, New Jersey, bringing together government officials, development partners, community leaders and neighborhood stakeholders to celebrate one of the township’s newest investments in housing, stability and neighborhood renewal.

Known as Springfield Gateway, the approximately $22.7 million development will replace underutilized properties with 48 affordable rental homes designed to serve individuals and families with a range of housing needs.

The residential mix will include:

• Eight one-bedroom apartments
• Twenty-eight two-bedroom apartments
• Twelve three-bedroom apartments
• Eight homes reserved for individuals experiencing homelessness

Construction is expected to begin in fall 2026, with the community scheduled for completion during the first quarter of 2028.

A Development Designed Around People

Springfield Gateway will do more than add apartments to Irvington’s housing inventory. It will create family-sized homes, provide supportive housing opportunities and strengthen a corridor with direct connections to employment, transportation, shopping and essential services.

he Irvington Bus Terminal is within walking distance, while Newark Penn Station, Newark Liberty International Airport and major regional highways are only a short distance away.

The project is supported by approximately $3.19 million in financing from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, together with approximately $17.1 million in equity generated through a competitive nine-percent Low-Income Housing Tax Credit award.

Springfield Gateway is being advanced through a partnership involving the Township of Irvington, Springfield Gateway Partners and Foya Development Group.

“Every new home represents security, dignity and a foundation upon which a family can build its future,” Mayor Tony Vauss said. “Springfield Gateway will transform properties that have not reached their full potential into a thriving residential community that strengthens both the neighborhood and the people who will call it home.”

“This development reflects the work we have been doing throughout Irvington—making neighborhoods safer, rebuilding infrastructure, removing blight and creating the conditions for meaningful public and private investment.”

“We are not simply constructing buildings. We are building confidence in Irvington, creating opportunities for our residents and demonstrating that thoughtful development can improve lives while moving an entire community forward.”

>Momentum Across Irvington

The Springfield Gateway groundbreaking is the latest project in a larger redevelopment strategy that has reshaped neighborhoods throughout Irvington under Mayor Vauss’s leadership.

Current and planned investments include the redevelopment of the former Pabst Brewery property into a residential complex of more than 400 units, a new five-story residential development on Ellis Avenue, continued investment along Chancellor Avenue and the transformation of the former Irvington General Hospital property through housing, senior living and social-service initiatives. The Township has also partnered with Foya Development Group on a five-story affordable housing community at 722 Chancellor Avenue. That 56-unit project includes five residences reserved for individuals with special needs, along with a fitness center, children’s playroom, computer room, community space and other amenities intended to support residents and families.

Springfield Gateway expands that record by bringing additional affordable housing, larger family units and supportive residences to one of Irvington’s most important corridors.

Public Safety and Development Moving Together

The resurgence of development in Irvington has been supported by a sustained improvement in public safety.

Township figures show that overall crime declined by approximately 51 percent, while violent crime fell by approximately 72 percent between 2014 and 2021.

In 2025, Irvington reached a historic milestone when the township recorded only one homicide, the lowest annual total in its modern history.

The administration has credited that progress to a coordinated public-safety strategy that includes intelligence-led deployment, expanded patrol visibility, targeted border operations, real-time crime analysis, seasonal enforcement initiatives, interagency partnerships and stronger relationships between law enforcement and the community.

Those results have helped restore confidence in Irvington as a place where families can live, businesses can grow and developers can make long-term investments.

“Development follows confidence,” Mayor Vauss said. “When residents see safer streets, cleaner neighborhoods, improved infrastructure and visible progress, they believe in the future of their community. Responsible developers see that progress as well.”

Investing in the Neighborhoods Residents Use Every Day

The growth taking place across Irvington has been accompanied by improvements to roads, utilities, sanitation and neighborhood conditions.

During Mayor Vauss’s tenure, the Township reports that more than 250 streets have been paved or improved and more than 120 vacant and abandoned properties have been demolished.

Those demolitions have removed dangerous conditions, reduced blight and opened the door for housing, homeownership and productive redevelopment.

Mayor Vauss also launched Operation Smooth Streets following severe winter damage to local roads. The initiative brought together the Irvington Department of Public Works and outside contractors to repair hundreds of potholes across the township.

Additional infrastructure investments have included:

• A $25 million PSE&G energy-modernization initiative
• More than $3 million in water-pipe replacement work
• Sanitation improvements
• New street-cleaning equipment
• Continued investments in municipal reliability and emergency resilience
• Ongoing improvements to neighborhood appearance and quality of life

The administration’s approach has been to connect large-scale redevelopment with the everyday improvements residents can see and experience on their blocks.

A Fourth Term Focused on Continuing the Work

The groundbreaking comes months after Irvington voters elected Mayor Vauss to a historic fourth consecutive four-year term in May 2026.

First elected Mayor in 2014, Vauss has made public safety, redevelopment, infrastructure, affordable housing and responsive municipal service central priorities of his administration.

His reelection provides another four-year mandate to continue the work that has changed Irvington’s direction and strengthened its position as a community of opportunity and investment.

“Serving as Mayor of Irvington is deeply personal to me because this is the community I love,” Vauss said. “Our progress has not happened by accident. It has come through hard work, partnership, discipline and the determination of residents who refused to give up on their township.”

“Springfield Gateway is another step forward, but it is not the finish line. We will continue working in every ward to create safer neighborhoods, better housing, stronger infrastructure and greater opportunity for every Irvington resident.”

From Underutilized Property to Lasting Opportunity

Springfield Gateway reflects a broader change in how Irvington approaches development.

Instead of allowing vacant or underperforming properties to remain symbols of disinvestment, the Township has pursued partnerships capable of turning those sites into housing, services, investment and neighborhood stability.

When completed, Springfield Gateway will stand as a visible example of that approach: property once falling short of its potential transformed into 48 affordable homes and a new gateway of opportunity for Irvington residents.

EVENT INFORMATION
Springfield Gateway Special Groundbreaking Ceremony
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Location: 413–421 21st Street, Irvington, New Jersey
Hosted by: Mayor Tony Vauss and Springfield Gateway Partners
Development: 48-unit affordable residential community

ABOUT SPRINGFIELD GATEWAY

Springfield Gateway is a planned five-story affordable residential community along 21st Street and Springfield Avenue in Irvington. The approximately $22.7 million development will provide 48 affordable rental homes, including eight one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom apartments. Eight residences will be reserved for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Construction is expected to begin in fall 2026, with completion anticipated during the first quarter of 2028.

ABOUT MAYOR TONY VAUSS

Mayor Tony Vauss was first elected in 2014 and secured a historic fourth consecutive term in 2026. His administration has advanced a township-wide agenda centered on crime reduction, responsible redevelopment, affordable housing, infrastructure modernization, street improvements, neighborhood stabilization, economic opportunity and responsive municipal government. Under his leadership, Irvington has experienced measurable public-safety gains, expanded housing development, significant road and utility improvements and renewed confidence in the township’s future.