The proposed Mowry Village project will transform an auto-wrecking and salvage yard and blighted area along Mowry Avenue west of the Silliman Center into an all-electric housing community that advances Newark’s environmental, housing and inclusion goals.
The project will deliver 196 single-family homes and 31 affordable apartments for low- and very-low-income households, meeting nearly one-quarter of Newark’s above-moderate RHNA housing requirement. Fifteen percent of the housing at Mowry Village will be affordable multi-family housing built to the same standards as the market-rate housing. Homes at Mowry Village will be designed for all kinds of families, including families with adult neurodivergent and autistic persons.
“Mowry Village represents smart, inclusive infill development for Newark and offers a model for future projects across California – projects our state urgently needs to help address the housing crisis,” said Evan Knapp, Principal at Integral Communities, the project’s developer.
“Over the past five years, we have actively engaged with the community and worked closely with the City of Newark, and the project is stronger because of that collaboration,” Knapp added. “We’ve incorporated affordable housing alongside market-rate homes, designed housing options specifically for families with members of any age who have intellectual or developmental disabilities, and partnered with the Magical Bridge Foundation to create an on-site park that celebrates inclusion and accessibility.”
Today, the site is contaminated with benzene, petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds due to decades of auto-wrecking use. Integral Communities will allocate an estimated $10 million to remove these contaminants and remediate the soil before starting housing construction.
The project will also transform a blighted section of Mowry Avenue by adding new sidewalks, bike lanes, lighting and safety features as well as upgrading the railroad crossing to California Public Utility Commission safety standards and the City’s quiet corridor requirements.
There have been some concerns about whether the site could contain wetlands. Independent evaluations help provide clarity: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found no jurisdictional wetlands on the property, and Newark’s 2025 Sea Level Rise Assessment (Arup, 2025) determined the site is not at risk from sea-level rise.
The Newark Planning Commission will consider the Mowry Village project on Nov. 19. For more information about Mowry Village, visit: mowryvillage.com.
Tracy Craig, Emeryville
