Nishuane Group, LLC

Newark developer Pedro Gomes has been busy of late, as he continues to expand his presence in University Heights, with the recent approval of a six-story, 37-unit residential building at 14-16 Lock Street. The project will transform a vacant lot into new housing, including affordable units, while adding amenities, landscaping, and pedestrian improvements in a neighborhood experiencing significant investment and growth. 📈

The approval is part of a broader wave of Gomes-led development in the area. Just steps away, he recently secured approval for a six-story, 27-unit building at 10 Lock Street, while nearby Orange Street projects include the 14-story Christiano tower at 253 Orange Street and the 140-unit development at 273 Orange Street. Together with completed projects such as Árbol and others in the neighborhood, these approvals reflect a sustained commitment to transforming University Heights into one of Newark’s fastest-growing residential districts. 🏗

Read more: https://jerseydigs.com/14-16-lock-street-newark-approved/

Developer Pedro Gomes Secures Planning Board Approval for Residential Building in University Heights | Jersey Digs An empty lot in Newark's University Heights neighborhood is set to become a six-story apartment building.

In a way, alleys were the original backrooms. 👀

Alleys are often overlooked pieces of , but they can play a major role in supporting walkable neighborhoods, increasing housing opportunities, and creating space for small businesses and community activity. Reconnecting and activating alley networks can help repair fragmented urban form and support people-oriented development: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2026/06/15/alleys-and-reurbanization-repairing-broken-urban-form

Alleys and (re)urbanization: Repairing broken urban form The body of literature is growing, but alleyways remain underresearched and underutilized assets for American reurbanization. Regardless, these latent spaces already complete many of our favorite cities.

The New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference is always a whirlwind, but we're proud to say that Nishuane Group was well represented in New Brunswick last week! 🤝🏾

In particular, Principal & Managing Partner Michèle Delisfort who packed the house on multiple occasions. Clearly she was in high demand! (As was Senior Associate Steven Martini!)

Thank you to all her fellow panelists and to everyone who attended "Achieving Great Homes and Neighborhoods for All in New Jersey: An Action Agenda for the 2026 Legislative Session" this past Friday. 💜

Today, we celebrate and honor the resilience and contributions of Black Americans throughout our nation’s history. 💪🏾

As a Black-owned planning firm, Nishuane Group remains committed to helping build stronger, more equitable communities where opportunity and prosperity are accessible to EVERYONE. 🖤❤️💚