Executives with Woodmont Properties and Canoe Brook Development joined local officials on April 9 to unveil WoodBrook at Randolph, a new 199-unit apartment and townhome-style rental property at 8000 Crescent Circle in Randolph.
By Joshua Burd
It may well be a no-brainer to Steve Santola and his team at Woodmont Properties.
To Randolph Mayor Mark H. Forstenhausler, however, it’s not something to be taken for granted. That was clear in early April as he thanked Woodmont and its partner, Canoe Brook Development, for welcoming first responders on multiple occasions as their sprawling new rental community off Route 10 was under construction.
“Woodbrook has been extremely generous with their time and allowed the fire department to have several tours of the buildings,” said Forstenhausler, a volunteer firefighter for more than three decades. “So we’re able to see exactly how the layout is and do our-pre plan operations so that, if we do have an issue, if we do have to come here for something to help out, our firemen will know what to do and where to go.
“Not everyone is as generous with their time and allowing us into the building, so that was a big plus for us.”
It was just one example of the partnership that helped bring WoodBrook at Randolph to fruition, according to both the mayor and the development team, providing the township with a much-needed infusion of housing. That demand was evident during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 199-unit project, which was already nearly 80 percent leased at the time after hitting the market last summer, following a multiyear development just west of Dover Chester Road.
SLIDESHOW: WoodBrook at Randolph
Images courtesy: Woodmont Properties / Canoe Brook Development
Santola, executive vice president and general counsel at Woodmont, said that cooperation helped “make a little dent” in the country’s estimated 4 million-unit housing deficit.
“Towns can treat you in different ways,” Santola told the public officials on hand. “But Randolph was always positive and was always trying to make suggestions to make things better.
“And you have to listen to the local folks, because they know the terrain and the market even better than we do, because that’s who voted for them. So we appreciate all of your positive support over the past few years and helping us get this done.”
The project is the latest joint venture between Canoe Brook and Woodmont — in a partnership that goes back more than 20 years — resulting in a four-story midrise with 97 traditional flats and 102 multistory, townhome-style units across seven additional buildings. Renters have access to amenities such as a coworking space, a fitness center, an outdoor pool, a social lounge and a clubroom, among others, as well as abundant surface parking and a limited number of garages.
With residents now living at the collection of one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes, Woodmont and Canoe Brook are successfully leveraging a location that’s roughly a one-hour drive from Manhattan and within the highly sought-after Morris County submarket.
“Watching WoodBrook at Randolph transform into a vibrant neighborhood as residents settle in is a proud moment for our team,” said Jack Tycher, a partner at Canoe Brook Development. “From the beginning, our goal was to bring a high-quality residential experience defined by expertly crafted residences and a strong amenity offering. The robust leasing reflects sustained demand for suburban destinations like Randolph.”
Forstenhausler, for his part, said WoodBrook “marks an exciting chapter for our township.”
“This community will bring new energy, connections and opportunities that enrich the lives of residents,” he said. “We look forward to meeting our new neighbors and seeing WoodBrook become a lively cornerstone of Randolph.”
Many of those new neighbors will occupy the 102 “carriage homes” around the site’s perimeter, which have struck a chord with the market because “it lives more like a townhome, but it’s for rent,” Santola said. It also provides residents with additional choice, he said, quipping that “a diversified housing stock is not four-bedroom colonials or five-bedroom colonials.”
“One of the things that I think we pride ourselves on is bringing diversified housing to communities like Randolph,” Santola said at the April 9 ribbon cutting. “And based on what we’ve seen so far in the market, mayor, I can tell you that it’s being very, very well received.
“And part of that, I think, is the design and excellent execution, but part of it is the town of Randolph and the cachet that it’s carried for years and years.”
