A rendering of a new 19,000-square-foot office building at 3040 Route 22 West in Branchburg — Courtesy: Larken Associates
By Joshua Burd
Larken Associates has unveiled plans to build a new 19,000-square-foot professional and medical office building at an existing property in Somerset County.
Slated to begin construction later this year, the new building at 3040 Route 22 West in Branchburg will mark the final stage of the firm’s value-add strategy for what’s known as Branchburg Centre. The developer acquired the property in 2017, when it consisted of a 90,000-square-foot office building that was 74 percent leased and a large surface parking lot, but with an attractive location and strong highway access that made it ideal for expansion.
Larken, which is based in the borough, said it has since renovated the existing office building with new lighting and walls, an upgraded lobby and café and new outdoor signage, among other interior and exterior improvements. It’s now 100 percent leased, driving the firm’s plans to use the vacant space on the property for a second building.
“Although the broader office market faces challenges, we remain deeply confident that demand for well-located, carefully designed and expertly managed office and medical office space will remain high in the Somerset County market,” said Victor Kelly, executive vice president of Raider Realty, the in-house brokerage division of Larken Associates. “With private entrances, bathrooms and HVAC systems, the building’s construction is geared to a wide range of professional and medical usages while its location in the heart of Somerset County ensures it will be well positioned for long-term success.”
The firm expects to continue its success at Branchburg Centre, thanks in large part to its location along Route 22 and access to routes 28, 31, 202 and 206 and interstates 78 and 287. Core Enterprises, Larken Associates’ in-house construction team, will oversee construction, with completion slated for the fourth quarter of this year.
