Features

Real Estate NJ goes in depth on the latest trends, success stories and critical issues facing the commercial real estate industry. Hear what is on the mind of the industry’s power players and get expert analysis as we give you the deepest look inside the market.

At long last: Beachfront, downtown projects move ahead in Jersey Shore town

More than a decade after the debut of the landmark, mixed-use Pier Village complex, Long Branch has other developments under construction or in the pipeline along its oceanfront, including new luxury condominiums. And along Lower Broadway, a developer is in the midst of demolishing dozens of blighted properties, following the resolution of what had been a fierce legal battle over back taxes and entitlements. The demolition is now clearing the way for a mixed-use project that could begin to transform the downtown as soon as next year.

FEM project brings a taste of South Beach to Long Branch

Mimi Feliciano recalls spending the early part of her college years in Miami — and how it wasn’t long before she fell in love with everything from the architecture to the lifestyle. It’s one reason why she and her firm, FEM Real Estate, have grand designs of bringing a taste of South Beach to her home state with its new project, South Beach at Long Branch.

Berger’s rehab project looks to tap into Newark’s growing hotel market

As Miles Berger knows all too well, transit access and proximity to Manhattan have been longtime drivers of Newark’s office market. He also knows that those benefits play a major role in the city’s lesser-known tourism sector. It’s why Berger is taking a major step to upgrade his hospitality portfolio in downtown Newark: a gut renovation of a 90-year-old hotel that will result in a new state-of-the-art property near the city’s Military Park.

The next step for Bell Works: With office space nearly full, retail takes center stage at landmark project

With at least 6,000 daily office workers set to occupy the building by next year, the effort to bring a distinctive mix of retailers, services and dining options to Bell Works is now well underway. That mix includes everything from a florist and a beauty salon to a 24-hour health club and an urgent care center, offerings that will serve both office tenants at the building and residents from the surrounding communities.

Planting the seed: Developer pitching concept plan for redeveloping 653-acre former research complex

There was a time when the sprawling former American Cyanamid complex in West Windsor bustled with more than 1,000 employees and agricultural researchers. A developer hopes to see the property bustling once again — but in a much different way.

Getting on track: Successful rental project, flood control measures spur new interest in Bound Brook

A successful rental project is one of two driving forces that now have Bound Brook ready to move ahead with a long-overdue revitalization of its downtown. The borough, whose Main Street has a history of being pummeled by surges from major storms, marked the completion last year of a $143 million flood control project — meaning downtown business and property owners no longer need to spend thousands of dollars on flood insurance.

Family values: NAI Mertz has staked its claim in South Jersey, while keeping its nimble, ‘mom-and-pop’ feel over more than 35 years

NAI Mertz might be the largest independent commercial real estate brokerage in southern New Jersey, but Barry Mertz will never forget the company’s humble beginnings.

After all, working with his wife Faye is a daily reminder of how it all started.

New EDA programs seek to promote street-level leasing, upgrades

The state Economic Development Authority last month unveiled two new funding tools aimed at helping street-level retail and downtown businesses in Passaic, Trenton, Paterson, Camden and Atlantic City.

The case for the suburbs: Despite vacancy, owners stand out with dynamic spaces and strategies

Experts say the struggles of New Jersey’s suburban office market are not as clear-cut as many still believe. Those challenges are in fact real, but there are still plenty of opportunities for owners and developers to make a splash.

JLL team provides a cure for New Jersey’s vacant pharma sites

Several of New Jersey’s largest, most prominent life sciences complexes are now on the path toward redevelopment, with new anchor tenants in place or new owners that can reclaim the value of what was left behind.

In the most high-profile cases, a team at JLL has been right in the thick of it.