By Joshua Burd
Bijou Properties has announced a key promotion within its ranks as part of a plan to expand beyond its hometown of Hoboken and into markets such as Montclair and Morristown.
The firm, which is known for its sustainable and luxury residential and commercial buildings, has promoted Chris Mazzola to the role of director of development to spearhead its growth in Morris and Essex counties. The new assignment builds on his role of overseeing acquisitions, financing, design and construction, marketing and leasing, as the company looks to plant a flag in downtown, transit-rich locales that are farther west.
Bijou did not identify specific project locations on Monday, but said it plans to replicate a strategy that has brought $400 million in development, including 350 units and 60,000 square feet of commercial space, to Hoboken over the past three years.
“We have a robust pipeline of future developments with over $350 million in mixed-use, multifamily properties under construction and plans to introduce cutting-edge buildings in the walkable, live/play downtown centers of Morristown and Montclair,” Mazzola said. “We pride ourselves on being a strong community partner that creates the kinds of sustainable, high-quality, and award-winning projects that make neighborhoods truly livable.”
Aside from high-end, ecofriendly residential units, Bijou’s projects have included elements such as large chunks of open space, a public gymnasium, flood resiliency measures and space for operators such as a charter school and a nonprofit theater. The firm has also delivered commercial spaces that host tenants like Gravity Vault, a rock-climbing gym, and a culinary studio known as Hudson Table.
“We’re excited to bring this methodology outside of Hoboken and are aggressively pursuing new projects in strategic urban and suburban markets throughout New Jersey,” said Mazzola, who will continue to play a key role in the firm’s Hoboken portfolio.
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Bijou’s projects have routinely achieved high levels of certification on the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design scale. Its current developments include VIA Lofts and Candela Lofts, a pair of upscale condominium buildings in uptown Hoboken, which are on pace to receive LEED platinum certification for homes.
The developer is also preparing for the 2019 debut of Edge Adams, a 34-unit rental building that will be the second property in its Edge Lofts apartment portfolio, and 700 Jackson, a new 424-unit rental complex that will include a modern, 6,835-square-foot public gymnasium and a two-acre resiliency park on Hoboken’s western edge.
Bijou recently won the 2018 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award for 700 Jackson, which was engineered with integrated flood resiliency measures including hundreds of thousands of gallons underground stormwater detention.
