HOBOKEN, N.J. — 722 Jefferson St LLC, a joint venture between Derby Consulting and Crimson Capital, has broken ground for a condominium project located at 722 Jefferson St. in Hoboken. The five-story building will feature 15 residences in two- and three-bedroom layouts with deeded parking spaces; 2,000 square feet of courtyard space; two private rear yards and three private 930-square-foot roof decks. Minervini Vandermark is serving as architect and Fields Construction Co. is serving as construction manager and general contractor for the project, which is slated for completion by spring 2018.
New Jersey
Saddleback Real Estate Developers Acquires Industrial Building in Fairfield, New Jersey
by Amy Works
FAIRFIELD, N.J. — Saddleback Real Estate Developers has purchased an industrial building located at 8 Kulick Road in Fairfield. The 23,200-square-foot property sold for an undisclosed price. Saddleback Real Estate plans to continue to expand its portfolio in New Jersey. The name of the seller was not released.
Love Funding Secures $13M FHA Loan for Section 8 Housing Community in Camden, New Jersey
by Amy Works
CAMDEN, N.J. — Love Funding has secured a $13 million FHA loan to refinance and rehabilitate Camden Townhomes, a scattered-site affordable housing property located in Camden. Camden Townhomes is a collection of 89 units spread over 64 separate tax parcels scattered throughout the Lanning Square and Bergen Square areas of the city. The loans proceeds, along with 4 percent Low-Incoming Housing Tax Credits provided by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, will be used to renovate the property. The renovations will result in more than $125,000 in improvements, including the replacement of all systems and fixtures with energy-efficient upgrades, for each of the units being rehabbed. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs originally purchased and assembled the units in 1992. At the time, the property was recognized as a single manageable and marketable development and awarded a 15-year Section 8 project-based voucher contract as part of a substantial rehabilitation. As part of the latest transaction, the project has been approved for a new 20-year contract. Leonard Lucas of Love Funding obtained the financing through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 221(d)(4) mortgage insurance program.
WALDWICK, N.J. — Urstadt Biddle Properties has acquired Waldwick Plaza Shopping Center, a retail property located at the intersection of Franklin Turnpike and Wyckoff Avenue in Waldwick, for an undisclosed price. Tenants at the 26,500-square-foot property include the U.S. Post Office, Supercuts, Verizon Wireless, Massage Envy and The Little Gym, as well as local tenants, including a liquor store, dry cleaner, nail salon and Italian restaurant. The name of the seller was not released.
Urstadt Biddle Properties Acquires Equity Interest in 75,400 SF Mixed-Use Property in New Jersey
by Amy Works
DUMONT, N.J. — Urstadt Biddle Properties (UBP) has purchased an equity interest in a new entity that owns Washington Commons Shopping Center, retail center that includes a residential component in Dumont. The two-building property features a freestanding 44,300-square-foot Stop & Shop and a three-story building that is occupied by retail tenants Valley Medical Group, Great Clips, Pet Valu, Blimpie and that includes 26 residential apartments. The residential unit mix consists of studio, one- and two-bedroom layouts. At the time of acquisition, the property was 100 percent leased. The transaction was structured as a DownREIT partnership whereby the seller, a regional real estate developer, received a combination of cash and operating partnership units in a new entity formed to purchase the property. UBP is the managing member of the newly formed entity and will manage and lease the property. UBP’s initial equity in the DownREIT was approximately $3.9 million, which represents an approximate 31.4 percent equity interest.
EAST ORANGE, N.J. — KeyBank Community Development & Lending Investment has provided a $54.8 million bridge loan for Essence 144, an apartment community located at 144 S. Harrison St. in East Orange. The borrower is Blackstone 360, a design-build firm based in Newark, N.J. Essence 144 is an adaptive reuse project in which the abandoned 12-story existing structure was redeveloped into a 144-unit apartment community. Tom Peloquin and John Gilmore IV of KeyBank arranged the refinancing.
GTJ REIT Enters Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Submarket with 109,700 SF Industrial Building Acquisition
by Amy Works
CHERRY HILL, N.J. — GJT REIT has acquired a 109,700-square-foot industrial building located in Cherry Hill for an undisclosed price. The facility is currently leased and occupied by Avalon Flooring for a 15-year term. The building houses installation training and distribution services for Avalon’s 14 retail stores throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Avalon has invested in various improvements to the building including LED lighting, new racking, a new HVAC system, an upgraded façade and a new office build-out. The building is located with Cherry Hill Business Park, which consists of 31 buildings totaling 1.9 million square feet. The name of the seller was not released. GTJ REIT now owns 48 properties totaling more than 5.6 million square feet.
CLIFTON, N.J. — Brooklyn-based Damascus Bakery has signed a 15-year lease for an industrial and warehouse facility located at 65 Industrial Street South in Clifton. Tulfra Real Estate and The Hampshire Cos. own the 204,000-square-foot building, which was formerly occupied by GlaxoSmithKline. The property recently underwent a $10 million upgrade and renovation after it was acquired by Tulfra and The Hampshire Cos. in 2015. A family-owned and operated bakery since 1930, Damascus Bakery is a large-scale baker of paninis, pitas, roll-ups and wraps. The bakery currently has operation facilities in Brooklyn, New York, and Newark, New Jersey. Mark Tannen of United Realty and Steven Fleissig of Greenberg Traurig LLP represented the tenant, while Chris Hile, Jenna Imperatore and Harold Imperatore of JLL, along with Mitchell Berkery of CSG Law, represented the landlord in the deal.
BRICK, N.J. — Gebroe-Hammer Associates has arranged the sale of Olympic Gardens, a mixed-use property located along Route 88 in Brick. Brick APTS LLC acquired the property from Longwood Ave LLC for $10.1 million. The property features an 80-unit multifamily complex and an adjacent 14,336-square-foot office building. Joseph Brecher and Adam Zweibel of Gebroe-Hammer represented the seller and secured the buyer in the deal.
WinnCompanies Begins $18.7M Apartment Community Rehabilitation in Bridgeton, New Jersey
by Amy Works
BRIDGETON, N.J. — WinnCompanies has begun an $18.7 million rehabilitation of Bridgeton Villas Apartments in Bridgeton. The project will modernize the community, improve energy efficiency and expand resident services. Constructed in 1966 and 1969, the community features eight buildings housing 28 one-bedroom, 92 two-bedroom and 36 three-bedroom units with an on-site leasing and management office. WinnDevelopment will oversee the first phase of the renovation project, which will improve five buildings totaling 100 units. Interior work will include mechanical system upgrades along with complete kitchen and bathroom overhauls, including the installation of EnergyStar appliances and sustainable plumbing fixtures. Exterior improvements include the beautification of building facades, new entryways, complete roof replacement, landscape work and parking lot repair. Along with the overall rehabilitation, five units will be brought up to ADA compliance and 10 units will be set aside as special needs housing for homeless individuals and families. WinnCompanies will partner with Gateway Community Action Partnership to deliver supportive services for residents occupying the designated units. WinnCompanies acquired Bridgeton Villas in March 2017.