Construction is underway on a redevelopment project at 681 Main St. in Belleville that will bring 204,407 square feet of new warehouse space to a site just off Route 21. — Rendering courtesy: Lincoln Equities Group
By Joshua Burd
Lincoln Equities Group has broken ground on a project that will bring more than 200,000 square feet of high-end warehouse space to Belleville, adding new supply to a growing submarket while revitalizing a blighted and long-contaminated site along Route 21.
The developer joined township officials on Friday to mark the start of construction at 681 Main St., where plans call for two modern logistics and distribution facilities on a 15.25-acre site. Slated for completion in summer 2025, the buildings will benefit from their location adjacent to Route 21 and just over 10 miles from Port Newark-Elizabeth, with each offering 36-foot clear ceiling heights, two drive-in doors per building, modern sprinkler systems, ample parking and finished interior office space.
The structures will span 91,746 and 112,661 square feet, LEG said, adding that they’ll have 17 and 26 dock doors, respectively.
“The redevelopment of 681 Main Street will breathe new life into this long-vacant site, but most importantly will also bring new revenue without creating a burden on our township resources or school district,” Belleville Township Mayor Michael Melham said. “We share in LEG’s vision to bring these state-of-the-art logistics properties to this well-located site, which will benefit Belleville residents and the surrounding area for many years to come.”
CBRE Vice Chairman Thomas Monahan, Executive Vice President Larry Schiffenhaus and Executive Vice President Brian Golden will spearhead leasing for the project, known as Lincoln Logistics Belleville. The facilities are now set to rise on a site that for decades housed a cluster of businesses and smaller industrial users, leaving it with several dilapidated buildings and environmental contamination that’s been cleaned up as part of the redevelopment.
LEG has managed and spearheaded that process for some three years, a period that has included negotiating a redevelopment plan and a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the township. The firm closed on the property in early 2022 in a deal arranged by Jason Lynch and Troy Wisse of Lee & Associates New Jersey, paving the way for a project that township officials say is even welcomed by residents of an adjacent apartment complex.
“This is really a textbook example of a public-private partnership,” said Joel Bergstein, LEG’s executive chairman. He added: “It’s not often, particularly when you’re next to a residential development, that they welcome this sort of facility, but this was a much better use.”
PCCP provided a $53.5 million construction loan for the project that was sourced by Cushman & Wakefield’s John Alascio, Chuck Kohaut, TJ Sullivan and Jason Blankfein. Petillo is the site contractor, while RC Andersen LLC is the construction manager for the development.
“As the appetite for strategically located and modern logistics properties remains strong, we look forward to meeting the market’s demand for industrial product with easy access to both highways and ports,” Bergstein said in prepared remarks. “The township of Belleville and Mayor Melham were tremendous partners on this project, and we’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone alongside them today.”
