Vision Real Estate Partners and Rubenstein Partners recently launched construction of the standalone amenity hub at Warren Corporate Center. From left: Rubenstein’s Stephen Card, mid-Atlantic regional director; Citigroup’s Randal Scott Sloan, managing director; Warren Mayor Carolann Garafola; Warren Committee Person George Lazo; and Vision Real Estate Partners’ Sam Morreale, founder and managing partner, assisted in the groundbreaking. — Courtesy: Vision Real Estate Partners
By Joshua Burd
A joint venture has started construction on a new standalone amenity building at a Warren office park, expanding on its plans to spruce up the offerings at the traditional suburban workplace.
The firms, Vision Real Estate Partners and Rubenstein Partners, say they are focused on lifestyle-related amenities with the new 19,000-square-foot building at Warren Corporate Center. The facility will serve five buildings within the 820,000-square-foot campus, which the developers acquired last year and is largely occupied by Citibank.
The amenity hub will include high-end, indoor and patio dining; multifunction conference areas; a fitness center with locker rooms and a full basketball court, the developers said. Its design calls for luxury finishes, collaborative spaces and an abundant use of glass.
The project will also include a green roof with seating that can serve as event space for social and business gatherings. Construction is slated for completion by mid-2018.
“The contemporary corporate campus and office environment has changed, and tenants recognize the inherent value of amenities when it comes to recruiting and retaining talent,” said Ross Chomik, managing partner of Vision Real Estate Partners. “This new, stand-alone community amenity center will further distinguish our headquarters-caliber property within Somerset County’s I-78 Corridor.”
With the new project, Vision Real Estate and Rubenstein Partners are hoping to build on the success of a similar concept in Morris County. At The Crossings at Jefferson Park, located in the Whippany section of Hanover, the firms last year converted a former central utility building into an 11,000-square-foot amenity center.
The building provides enhanced gourmet food services with indoor and open-air seating, a multifunction business lounge and a modern health and wellness center. The firms said the centerpiece of what’s known as the Powerhouse revolves around a bike-share station and storage and 1.3 miles of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
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The new facility in Warren will also include an outdoor amphitheater and walking paths, the firms said in a news release. It will complement Warren Corporate Center’s existing amenities, which includes three full-service cafeterias and three fitness centers.
The 176-acre property was originally developed in 1996 as the headquarters of Lucent Technologies. Citibank has occupied the campus since 2004 and has since vacated one of the buildings.
The joint venture is now marketing the remaining 156,500-square-foot building as the firms look to reposition the complex into a multitenant campus.
“The new amenity hub will create a more vibrant workplace environment at Warren Corporate Center,” said Stephen Card, mid-Atlantic regional director for Rubenstein Partners. “We believe strongly in this concept and are committed to offering like-kind amenity centers to tenants in each of our projects. Providing exceptional amenities and services improves the tenant experience while increasing occupancy, retention, and ultimately long-term asset value.”
