343 Thornall in Metropark is among the newly enhanced buildings within Mack-Cali Realty Corp.’s suburban office portfolio — All photos by Ben Gancsos/Courtesy: Mack-Cali
By Joshua Burd
Mack-Cali Realty Corp. has completed a sweeping overhaul of its key suburban office portfolio, following more than $50 million in redesigns and renovations at buildings in the Parsippany, Short Hills, Metropark and Red Bank submarkets.
The real estate investment trust has unveiled the upgrades, which include enhanced and modernized exteriors, new amenities and updated common areas at properties in northern and central New Jersey.
SLIDESHOW: River | Centre in Red Bank
The improvements at nearly a dozen Mack-Cali buildings include:
- Redesigns of building lobbies and entryways, designed to create bright, airy settings with locally inspired design features
- Upgraded finishes, customized to complement each building’s new design and aesthetic
- New and updated onsite dining options, from grab-and-go kiosks offering fresh lunch items to full-service food halls with abundant seating
- Conference centers featuring high-end tables with built-in connections and cutting-edge audio-visual systems
- New tenant fitness centers with state-of-the-art equipment, training facilities, locker rooms, and vanity areas
- A variety of furnished lounge areas designed for a relaxed experience
“While the capital improvements have undoubtedly created modern and aesthetically-pleasing workplaces for tenants, our true goal in this initiative was to enhance every touchpoint of the employee experience in a way that has an impact beyond just the physical aspects of the buildings,” said Michael J. DeMarco, Mack-Cali’s CEO. “Based on conversations that we’ve had with tenants since completing the upgrades, it’s clear that we’ve been successful in transforming these properties into better places to work, where employees enjoy spending their days.”
SLIDESHOW: Mack-Cali Short Hills
Mack-Cali retained a high-profile roster of architects to oversee the renovations, including HLW International, Studio 1200, Rotwein + Blake, Joshua Zinder and TPG Architects.
The upgraded properties include:
- Sylvan Way in Parsippany
- 8 and 9 Campus Drive in Parsippany
- 5 Wood Hollow in Parsippany
- River | Centre in Red Bank
- 333 and 343 Thornall in Metropark
- 581 Main Street in Woodbridge
- 150 JFK in Short Hills
- 3 Giralda Farms in Madison
The REIT, which is in the midst of a sweeping, $75 million transformation of its flagship Harborside complex in Jersey City, has also targeted some suburban submarkets as it has right-sized its once-sprawling portfolio. Those areas include high-rent or transit-served submarkets.
SLIDESHOW: Mack-Cali Metropark
The upgrades have been ongoing since last year and have led to notable leasing activity, including some of the year’s most high-profile deals in New Jersey’s office market. In June, the company announced a 130,000-square-foot lease at 581 Main St. with Plymouth Rock Assurance, while company executives have alluded to a steady pipeline of interest in other suburban properties.
Mack-Cali has unveiled the upgrades in recent months during a series of open houses with brokers and other industry professionals.
IN THE MOMENT: Mack-Cali’s broker open house at River | Centre in Red Bank
