17 Watchung Ave. in Chatham — Courtesy: NAI James E. Hanson
By Joshua Burd
A new business geared toward child recreation is set to open in Chatham, following a 4,580-square-foot office lease arranged by NAI James E. Hanson.
The real estate services firm said Village Play Café LLC had leased the space at 17 Watchung Ave. Slated for an August opening, the business will offer an interactive play space for children up to five years old.
NAI Hanson’s Andrew Kirshenbaum and Tom Ryan represented both the landlord, James Prisco Jr., and Village Play in the transaction.
They noted that the business arose out of two local mothers’ desire to create a bright and welcoming space designed around encouraging meaningful play for local children, according to a news release. The lease at 17 Watchung will enable the owners to start their new business in an easily accessible location with ample parking that meets their space requirements.
“NAI James E. Hanson has worked extensively with the landlord of 17 Watchung to secure quality tenants throughout the ownership of the 18,500-square-foot office building,” Kirshenbaum said. “As we continue to see a decrease in suburban office demand, finding creative usages for existing office space will be crucial for landlords hoping to maintain high occupancy rates.
“We were happy to help bring this new business to Chatham while enabling our long-time client to maintain profitability at his building.”
