NJBIA and its flagship publication, New Jersey Business Magazine, are honoring the visionaries behind 13 outstanding New Jersey development projects with New Good Neighbor Awards.
“The winning projects, participating in our 62nd Annual New Good Neighbor Awards program, have created $121 million in capital investment, nearly 1,800 construction jobs and more than 2,000 permanent jobs, providing valuable assets and generating tremendous economic activity,” said NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka said Wednesday.
“As with past New Good Neighbor Award winners, these projects improve our quality of life —revitalizing neighborhoods, bringing communities together, and providing valuable services. We are grateful for the benefits these projects have brought to New Jersey.”
The list below provides a brief description of each winning project. Full summaries can be found in the July issue of New Jersey Business Magazine.
650 From Road, Paramus
When Onyx Equities and Garrison Investment Group joined forces in 2019 to purchase 650 From Road from Mack-Cali Realty Group, they immediately set out to transform the massive 363,000-square-foot office building into a sparkling one-of-a-kind Class A corporate office center.
The project included a complete redesign of all interior common areas. New amenities include a café and dining area, a lounge, game rooms and conference room space. The central atrium and lobby are also now reimagined, including a stunning five-story live green wall complete with a custom RGB lighting wall. Exterior common space upgrades take advantage of existing outdoor relaxation spaces, including a fitness-grade walking path.
The project resulted in the creation of more than 250 construction jobs. Today the building is home to 1,000 on-site employees.
The architect was Kimmerle Newman Architects in Harding Township; the builder was Three 17 Construction in East Rutherford.
1776 by David Burke, Morristown
In the 1980s, Headquarters Plaza on the Morristown Green was a grand-scale urban renewal project. It brought prominent law firms and corporations into the center of town.
Today, 1776 by David Burke featuring Topgolf Swing Suite occupies a 16,100-square-foot portion of this iconic multistory tower and lower glass-clad pavilion on the corner of the green.
The new attraction includes great dining at the hands of signature chef David Burke with the camaraderie of an indoor golf experience. Boasting a new clear glass façade, the boldly lit interior accentuates the grand ceiling heights that passersby cannot miss.
The $4.5 million project includes a custom interior makeover, featuring a bar, dining areas with reconfigurable seating, as well as the Topgolf Swing Suite that simulates golf experiences for people to enjoy.
The architect was Michael Graves Architecture and Design in Princeton; the builder was Stone Creek Construction Group in Matawan.
Chapel Avenue (CR 626), Cherry Hill
This $3.8 million road improvement project brought to life a critical infrastructure improvement to 1.9 miles in Camden County. Considering the safety to bikers, motorists and pedestrians alike, the Chapel Avenue (CR 626) upgrade project spans a stretch of road from Haddonfield Road to Kings Highway in Cherry Hill Township.
Utilizing a “Complete Streets” approach for design, the concept employs the consideration of all users of the road, not just vehicles. With schools and parks within the footprint of the roadway, travel lanes were narrowed to slow traffic and provide space for improved sidewalks and the addition of bike lanes, as well as creating safe pedestrian crossings throughout.
The design also utilized cobblestone and landscaped islands, parking lanes, and handicap accessibility improvements.
The design engineer was French & Parrello Associates in Wall; the builder was Lexa Concrete in Hammonton.
Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center, Randolph
The new Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center (AMEC) at the County College of Morris in Randolph is a positive example of New Jersey answering this educational need.
Completed and opened in 2020, the 31,500-square-foot facility created more than 150 construction jobs and added nine full-time staff. Taking “state-of-the-art” to new levels, funding for the $11.13 million center was made possible with the help of the New Jersey Legislature, the Morris County Board of Commissioners, and the private sector.
Designed for collaborative learning, students can draw their concepts on walls and walk down the hall to prototype and manufacture, as the AMEC is equipped with the latest machinery, from automation and 3-D printers to welding and fabrication tools.
The architect was USA Architects in Somerville; the builder was the Bennett Company in Passaic.
Advanced Medical Center, Jefferson
When the Pathmark Supermarket closed in Jefferson, the site spent years abandoned. That was until Commercial Realty Group (CRG) purchased the property, transforming it – to quote Jefferson Mayor Eric Wilsusen – from “an eyesore to an eye-catching medical center.”
Restoring the 45,000-square-foot space into a Class “A” musculoskeletal center employed 50 tradespersons.
The site includes a new drop-off space, and the parking and green spaces were also revamped. The new façade includes an identity tower crowned by a crescent (standing seam) metal roof.
It features energy-efficient LED lighting and gas-fired HVAC units. Meanwhile, the inside received major upgrades including 12-foot ceilings, new common area restrooms, and automatic doors at all patient entry points.
The completed medical center is 100% leased and employs 175 full-time employees.
The architect was Parette Somjen Architects of Rockaway; the builder was Commercial Realty Group of Parsippany.
Bergen Community College, Paramus
When the Pitkin Education Center was constructed in the 1960s, it was a paragon of contemporary design. However, six decades later it reflected outdated ideas for both space utilization and the delivery of efficient student services.
The solution: a reimagined “one-stop” student center with stainless steel, wood and glass creating an open, sunlit-drenched space housing every student function.
The 14,280-square-foot project relocated every student services function into an all-inclusive environment, enhancing communications with students, removing administrative barriers and streamlining the process for admission, registration and supportive services. The project created some 30 construction jobs.
College leadership sought input from students, faculty and staff to design the one-stop student center, resulting in widened entry areas for disability accommodations, increased Wi-Fi capacity, and the use of durable materials to provide longevity to the space.
The architect was Arcari + Iovino Architects of Little Ferry; the builder was the G Meyer Group of Manasquan.
Clinton Hill Early Learning Center, Newark
Completed in September of 2021, the Clinton Hill Early Learning Center was the brainchild of four nonprofit groups: The Maher Charitable Foundation, La Casa de Don Pedro, Clinton Hill Community & Early Childhood Center, Inc., and Clinton Hill Community Action.
The consortium set out to address the lack of quality early childhood education facilities in Newark’s South Ward.
The new 40,000-square-foot, two-story Early Head Start and Pre-School, designed to accommodate 200 children spanning ages as young as 6 months to 4 years old, transformed a long-vacant site into a thriving, vibrant center for young children.
The building includes 16 classrooms, two indoor play areas, a family center, a play therapy suite for La Casa’s Early Head Start Program, and Clinton Hill’s expanded free preschool/Pre-K program and offices.
The architect was DIGroupArchitecture in New Brunswick; the builder was the Donnelly Construction in Wayne.
The Club at Woodbridge Sports and Fitness Center, Woodbridge
Woodbridge Township purchased this 111,000-sqaure-foot building four years ago when the family-owned fitness center, which dates to the 1970s, came on the market. A $2.1 million renovation project was phased in over three years and included a 4,000-square-foot addition to accommodate a full-size hockey rink, concession area, bleachers and storage for an ice-resurfacing machine.
The project also included renovation of the tennis courts, new HVAC units, upgraded plumbing and fire protection systems, exterior site improvements, and more.
The fitness club reopened in 2021, preserving 200 jobs and providing the community with an impressive array of sporting and fitness programs, including a spinning studio with 30 bikes, a golf simulation machine and childcare facility.
The Vaughn Collaborative, of Ewing, was the project architect. The builder was Michael Riesz & Co. of Fords.
CompleteCare Health Network, Bridgeton
This 30,000-square-foot health center, which opened in December 2021, is the second largest federally qualified health center in New Jersey. With nine exam rooms, the healthcare center offers primary care, adult medicine, podiatry, chiropractic care and infectious disease services.
There is even a staff phlebotomist for onsite lab work and a pharmacy to provide CompleteCare patients easy access to medications and other essential health-related items.
The $15 million project created 128 construction jobs and brought 80 permanent employees to the community. More importantly, the investment also brought low-income residents much-needed local access to medical professionals.
Most of the new Bridgeton health center’s patients fall below 100% of the federal poverty level, including patients who are uninsured, underinsured, veterans, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, children or homeless.
Both the construction firm, Fabbri Builders Inc., and the architect, Manders Merighi Portadin Farrell Architects LLC are local Vineland businesses.
Leading-Edge Cancer Center at Inspira Health Medical Center, Mullica Hill
Inspira Health Medical Center’s Leading-Edge Cancer Center, a new 17,000-square foot facility, brings together medical, radiation and surgical oncology care with a full complement of support services to provide the greater Gloucester County community with comprehensive cancer care.
The $47.8 million project, completed in January 2020, features ample surgical and radiology spaces with the latest technology and offers patients chemotherapy and immunotherapy in a smartly designed home-like setting. There is also a pharmacy, rehabilitation program, and family waiting area, including a tech bar, and dining locations adjacent to the hospital.
The project created 439 construction jobs and the completed facility brought approximately 100 new permanent jobs to the community.
Designed by Array Architects, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the project’s builder was Skanska USA Building, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
PTC Therapeutics Gene Therapy Center of Excellence, Hopewell
PTC Therapeutics, which researches gene therapy treatments for rare diseases, is helping to solidify New Jersey’s leadership position in the global biopharma ecosystem.
In 2020, PTC acquired a 240,000-square-foot facility in Hopewell and invested $11.5 million in renovations to create manufacturing and laboratory facilities that meet its unique production needs.
The renovated facility includes state-of-the-art technology equipped to handle process development and manufacturing of plasmids and adeno-associated virus vectors. PTC Therapeutics, which is headquartered in South Plainfield, employs 1,200 workers in 20 countries, including 625 New Jersey-based employees.
The Hopewell project created 13 construction jobs and the completed facility, which held its official ribbon-cutting in October 2020, employs 180 full-time workers.
The architect was CRB of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and the builder was Lendlease Construction, of Ewing.
West Morris Wolfpack Hockey Rink, Long Valley
After years of planning and negotiations, the West Morris Wolfpack Hockey Rink finally opened in August 2021. Requiring approvals from the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, county and township councils, and board of education as well as the local parks and recreation department, this is an accomplishment of cooperation, volunteerism and public-private partnerships.
The 10,500-square-foot space is designed for street hockey, but can also be used for ice hockey, and reserved for practices, community events, roller hockey, futsal soccer, and box lacrosse.
Today, it is home to the West Morris Wolfpack Youth Ice Hockey Club and the Morris Youth Hockey League. The project has inspired volunteer spruce-up efforts in the surrounding park, including a native wildflower pollinator garden courtesy of the Garden Club of Long Valley, as well as new walking trails.
The architect was Ferriero Engineering of Chester; the builder was Phelps Construction Group of Boonton.
Veterans Housing Project, Jersey City
The Veterans Housing Project is a new 20-unit, 4-story affordable housing rental project built on a long-vacant corner lot on Ocean Avenue in Jersey City.
The project features one-, two- and three-bedroom residential units with modern amenities at affordable rents for low-and-moderate income residents, including a set-aside for homeless veterans. The space also includes 1,500 square feet of office/retail space to be occupied by a nonprofit organization providing supportive housing services to the community.
The 21,712-square-foot building is located in an Urban Enterprise Zone. The site includes 13 surface parking spaces as well as bike storage. A highlight of the building is a commissioned street-level mural depicting WWII airmen and aircraft honoring all veterans.
The project created 87 construction jobs and now employs four full-time employees.
The architect was Studio 1200, Short Hills; the builder was Sweetwater Construction, Cranbury.
