Trenton Housing Authority breaks ground on $54.3 million Choice Junior One Development in December
The Trenton Housing Authority (THA) is transforming the former Trenton Junior One Middle School site at 800 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard into Choice Junior One, a new development designed to bring affordable housing and community resources to North Trenton.
The project will include over 100 affordable senior apartments, a 7,400-square-foot early childhood daycare center, and nearly 10,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) approved a $54.3 million Aspire Program award, clearing the way for construction to begin later this year.
“Choice Junior One represents what is possible when we invest in both people and place,” said Clifford Godfrey, Executive Director of the Trenton Housing Authority. “We are taking a site that is an important part of North Trenton’s history and transforming it into a new community that will give our seniors a safe, affordable place to call home while creating opportunities for families, children, and residents throughout the neighborhood. This project is about creating a foundation for the next chapter of North Trenton.”
“THA is committed to ensuring local and minority contractors have a meaningful role in this transformative redevelopment. For the past two years, THA and People Restoring Communities (PRC) have worked to secure the financing needed to bring this project to life, and reaching this milestone marks the beginning of Phase I of the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Plan for the North Trenton Battle Monument Neighborhood. Residents are excited for this project that will reimagine the neighborhood while creating lasting investment and opportunities for the community and generations to come,” said Chrysti Huff, Director of Redevelopment for the Trenton Housing Authority.
The four-story building will include 107 one-bedroom apartments for residents aged 62 and older who earn at or below 60% of the area’s median income, and will be 100% affordable housing. Beyond housing, Choice Junior One will give residents access to a fitness room, community room, outdoor patio, walking paths, on-site parking, and playground equipment. THA and its development partner, PRC, will also offer workforce development, senior services, youth education support, and financial empowerment programming on site.
“As I’ve said from the first meeting on our Choice Neighborhood application years ago, this senior housing development at the Junior One site is a once-in-two-generations opportunity for the North Ward and our City of Trenton. It will fundamentally improve the neighborhood for everyone. We are so thankful to Trenton Housing Authority’s leadership and their entire team for taking this challenge head on, and to all of our other government partners for their support in making this happen. I can’t wait for the first Trentonians to move into it in the coming years!” said Jennifer Williams, North Ward Councilwoman, Council Vice President.
“This investment represents another major step in transforming the North Ward and delivering on the promise of our Choice Neighborhoods partnership,” Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora said. “The City of Trenton and the Trenton Housing Authority worked together to secure this federal designation because we recognized that rebuilding a neighborhood requires more than building housing.”
The project’s funding includes an NJEDA Aspire Program tax credit of up to $54.3 million, covering up to 85% of total project cost; a $900,000 HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant; and additional equity from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA).
“Projects like this demonstrate what is possible when state and local partners work together to invest in Trenton and the Capital Region,” Mercer County Executive Dan Benson said.
Melanie R. Walter, Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, said, “Choice Junior One epitomizes how affordable housing investments can preserve a community’s history while creating new opportunities for its future.”
NJHMFA’s board approved permanent financing for the project on September 3, 2026. THA will break ground in December 2026, complete construction in about 25 months, and welcome residents in fall 2028.
