The Comeback Keeps Building—Another Block, Another Breakthrough: Mayor Tony Vauss Breaks Ground on $22.7 Million Springfield Gateway

 

New 48-Unit Development Advances Irvington’s Historic Progress in Housing, Public Safety, Infrastructure and Neighborhood Revitalization

 

IRVINGTON, N.J. — Mayor Tony Vauss will join Springfield Gateway Partners, Foya Development Group, government officials, community leaders and neighborhood stakeholders onTuesday, November 10, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the groundbreaking of Springfield Gateway, a new 48-unit affordable residential community to be developed at 413–421 21st Streetand adjacent properties along Springfield Avenue in Irvington.

 

The approximately $22.7 million, five-story development will transform a collection of underutilized properties into safe, modern and affordable housing for Irvington families. 

The project will include eight one-bedroom apartments, 28 two-bedroom apartments and 12 three-bedroom apartments, with eight homes reserved for individuals experiencing homelessness.

 

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

 

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

 

The project will also place residents near employment, shopping, public transportation and essential services. 

 

The Irvington Bus Terminal is within walking distance, while Newark Penn Station, Newark Liberty International Airport and major regional highways are nearby.

 

“Springfield Gateway is what progress looks like when leadership refuses to accept vacant land, disinvestment or outdated perceptions as permanent,” Mayor Tony Vausssaid. “We are transforming underused property into 48 beautiful and affordable homes, strengthening one of our most important corridors and creating greater stability for families who deserve the opportunity to live with dignity in a community that is moving forward.”

“This groundbreaking is not an isolated event. It is part of a comprehensive vision connecting safer neighborhoods, quality housing, repaired streets, responsible development, stronger public services and economic opportunity.”

 

“I love Irvington, I believe in its people, and I remain committed to making certain that our progress reaches every ward, every neighborhood and every family. Springfield Gateway is another promise kept and another powerful statement that Irvington’s best days are still ahead.”

 

 

Springfield Gateway is the latest in a growing pipeline of housing and neighborhood investments advanced under the Vauss administration.

 

Major redevelopment initiatives have included plans for more than 400 residential units at the former Pabst Brewery property, a new five-story residential development on Ellis Avenue, continuing investment along Chancellor Avenue and the ongoing transformation of the former Irvington General Hospital property through housing, senior living and social-service projects.

 

The Township’s partnership with Foya Development Group previously helped deliver a five-story, 56-unit affordable residential community at 722 Chancellor Avenue, including five apartments reserved for residents with special needs. That development includes a fitness center, children’s playroom, computer room, community space and other family-centered amenities.

 

Springfield Gateway will build upon that progress by adding family-sized apartments, supportive housing opportunities and convenient access to transportation, employment and community services.

 

 

Mayor Vauss has consistently emphasized that meaningful redevelopment must be supported by safer streets and stronger neighborhoods.

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

That progress culminated in a historic public-safety milestone in 2025, when Irvington recorded only one homicide—the lowest annual total in the township’s modern history.

 

Those results were achieved through intelligence-led deployment, expanded patrol visibility, targeted border operations, real-time crime analysis, seasonal enforcement strategies, interagency cooperation and an administration-wide commitment to professionalism, accountability and community trust.

 

The transformation has done more than improve crime statistics. It has restored the confidence necessary for families to invest in their homes, businesses to expand, developers to build and major projects such as Springfield Gateway to move from vision to reality.

 

 

The Vauss administration’s redevelopment strategy has been accompanied by a sustained investment in Irvington’s streets, infrastructure and everyday quality of life.

 

The Township reports that more than 250 streets have been paved or improved during Mayor Vauss’s tenure and more than 120 vacant and abandoned properties have been demolished, removing dangerous conditions and creating opportunities for new housing and neighborhood stabilization.

 

Following severe winter damage to local roadways, Mayor Vauss launched Operation Smooth Streets, mobilizing the Department of Public Works and outside contractors to repair hundreds of potholes throughout the township.

 

That work has complemented broader infrastructure improvements, including a $25 million PSE&G energy-modernization investment, more than $3 million in water-pipe replacement work, sanitation upgrades, new street-cleaning equipment and continued improvements to neighborhood appearance, reliability and emergency resilience.

 

Together, these initiatives reflect the administration’s belief that redevelopment is about more than constructing buildings. It is about making neighborhoods safer, repairing roads and utilities, removing blight, supporting homeownership, attracting responsible investment and ensuring that longtime residents benefit from Irvington’s progress.

 

 

In May 2026, Irvington voters reelected Mayor Vauss to a historic fourth consecutive four-year term, extending a period of leadership that began with his first election as Mayor in 2014.

 

The Springfield Gateway groundbreaking represents the continuation of that mandate and another milestone in a transformation that has repositioned Irvington as a community of measurable progress and expanding opportunity.

 

Under Mayor Vauss, Irvington has become an active partner in shaping its own future—assembling land, pursuing public and private investment, supporting affordable housing, improving infrastructure and creating the conditions in which responsible development can succeed.

 

Springfield Gateway will stand as another visible expression of that progress: underutilized properties transformed into homes, stability, dignity and opportunity for Irvington residents.

 

 

Event: 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
Project: A 48-unit affordable residential community
 

 

Springfield Gateway is a planned five-story affordable residential development spanning properties along Springfield Avenue and 21st Street in Irvington. The approximately $22.7 million development will provide 48 affordable rental homes, including eight residences reserved for individuals experiencing homelessness. The community will include eight one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom apartments. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2026, with completion anticipated in the first quarter of 2028.