8 Sylvan Way in Parsippany — Courtesy: JLL
By Joshua Burd
A new lease by a top East Coast law firm is now a key piece of a landlord’s plan to reposition a Parsippany office building, the onetime home of a major pharmaceutical company.
According to JLL, the leasing team for 8 Sylvan Way, Orion Office REIT Inc. is currently upgrading the 176,062-square-foot property to create a multitenant hub at what is one of the township’s newest office buildings. The multimillion-dollar renovation includes everything from exterior improvements to enhanced amenity spaces, part of a plan that recently helped secure a nearly 56,000-square-foot lease with Day Pitney LLP.
“We are thrilled to welcome Day Pitney to 8 Sylvan Way as we undertake a comprehensive redevelopment that will elevate the property to meet demand from leading companies seeking vibrant, well-connected locations where they can thrive and grow,” said Kieran McGee, a senior vice president with Orion Office REIT.
Day Pitney, which is currently based at 1 Jefferson Road in the township, will occupy the entire second and third floor of the property’s west wing when it moves in late summer or early fall 2025. That’s roughly a third of the building, which was once home to The Medicines Co. before the company was acquired by Novartis AG in 2020.
A former owner, The Hampshire Cos., attracted The Medicines Co. after a major project in 2009 in which it took a once-obsolete, 100,000-square-foot structure down to its steel and rebuilt it as a new 175,000-square-foot property. Orion Office REIT is now further improving the space as it looks to capitalize on its quick access to interstates 80, 280 and 287 and other major highways.
A JLL team led by Tim Greiner, David Stifelman and Noah Stewart represent ownership at 8 Sylvan Way. Greiner, along with the firm’s Mike Pietrowicz, Dan Loughlin, Kimberly Smith, Brendan McBride and Jonathan Ortiz, represented Day Pitney in the long-term transaction.
“Our New Jersey office move will be the most recent in a series of moves that Day Pitney has made over the last several years to modernize the firm’s workspaces to best meet the current and future needs of our attorneys, staff, and clients,” said Chip Krauss, Day Pitney’s chief operating officer. “Our new office space will assist us in facilitating continued growth, fostering collaboration, and reinforcing our firm culture.”
Design firm HLW is spearheading the plan to create a collaborative and engaging workspace for tenants seeking office, research or laboratory use, according to a news release. According to JLL, the includes renovating the property’s three training rooms and board room to create modern conferencing facilities with new audio-visual technology, while two of the training rooms will open to a café and provide town-hall capacity for up to 350 people.
The landlord is also upgrading the fitness center with new locker rooms and showers, JLL said. Tenants, meantime, will be able to use the expanded health and wellness services offered by LifeTime Fitness, the upscale health club chain scheduled to open next door with features that include studios, saunas, spas, athletic courts and swimming pools.
Other plans call for upgrades to the parking lot and the installation of 12 electric vehicle charging stations, new landscaping and walking trails and new HVAC.
“With institutional ownership committed to providing the very best amenities and services, the property is ideally suited for tenants seeking headquarters space that can be built to suit their requirements,” Stifelman said.
JLL noted that 8 Sylvan, which is comprised of two three-story buildings connected by a glass atrium, sits on 15 acres with a lake, outdoor seating areas and walking and bike trails. The property is surrounded by restaurants and retailers, including a nearby Wegmans, Seasons 52, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Capital Grille and Panera Bread, while there are multiple hotels within a two-minute drive and a Bright Horizons daycare across the street.
Day Pitney leases 55,000 sq. ft. in Parsippany for New Jersey team’s new offices
