A rendering of the planned exterior renovations at 33 Washington St. in Newark — Courtesy: Berger Organization
By Joshua Burd
Berger Organization has unveiled plans to renovate a well-known, 450,000-square-foot office tower in downtown Newark after acquiring the building earlier this year.
The firm, which is based in the city, said it was planning extensive upgrades throughout all 19 floors and at the street level of 33 Washington St. Those renovations include:
- All new central systems, including HVAC, elevators, lighting, security
- Updated lobby
- Digital signage kiosks
- A new streetscape
- Fit-outs for Newark’s emerging high-tech tenant base
Berger acquired the tower in March 2017. Built in 1970 for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the property sits on 1.6 acres across the street from Washington Park in the James Street Commons Historic District and at the northern end of Newark’s central business district.
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The building is now a multitenant property and has a fitness center, café, shared conference rooms and on-site parking, Berger said. Upper floors have views of the Manhattan skyline.
“The demand for Class A office space in Newark continues to grow and 33 Washington’s location and amenities make it a highly desirable address for companies that want to be downtown,” said Miles Berger, CEO of Berger Organization. “We are also very excited about new developments within the neighborhood and what those will mean for the city’s business community.”
Berger also noted that 33 Washington was also included in the city’s recent bid for Amazon’s second headquarters project and offered as move-in-ready space for the first phase of the requirement. In the meantime, business leaders are in discussions with the city about redeveloping Washington Park, similar to the recent renovations at Military Park.
The building is two blocks from the Newark Broad Street train station and a half-mile from Newark Penn Station.
