1 Boland Drive in West Orange — Courtesy: JLL
By Joshua Burd
The owner of a repositioned office building in West Orange has secured seven new tenants with nearly 74,000 square feet of leasing activity, brokers with JLL announced.
In the largest deal, BNE Real Estate Group will occupy 22,373 square feet at the three-story, 130,211-square-foot property at 1 Boland Drive. The second-floor space will serve as the new headquarters for the well-known, multigenerational development firm, which has long been based in Livingston.
Other recent deals at the property, owned by Offices at Crystal Lake LLC, include a long-term 16,300-square-foot lease by law firm Callahan & Fusco LLC, which is moving from Roseland, the brokerage team said. Meantime, the newly launched PEM Law LLP will occupy 12,269 square feet across the first floor of the building just off Interstate 280.
JLL Senior Managing Director Jason Benson, Executive Vice President Colleen Maguire and Associate Alex Friedenberg lead the property’s leasing team, noting that ownership has invested more than $1.2 million to upgrade the amenity floor and lobby. That followed the departure of longtime anchor tenant CSG Law, which moved to Roseland in 2023, but the building now has just 7,653 square feet of available space.
“The landlord’s significant investment in upgrading the building’s amenities underscores the flight to quality among tenants seeking modern, amenity-rich office spaces that enhance employee experience and productivity,” Friedenberg said. “Ownership understood the importance of making these improvements upfront, proving that, if you build it, they will come.”
The building’s other newly signed tenants include:
- Manzi Epstein Lomurro & Decataldo, a law firm specializing in divorce and family law, which relocated from Montclair and expanded to 9,152 square feet on the first floor
- Architectural firm Rotwein+Blake, which signed a long-term lease for 5,265 square feet on the second floor and will relocate from Livingston
- Family-owned textile and fabric design business Swavelle Group, which relocated from Garfield to 4,710 square feet on the first floor
- CFI Consultants, a company that specializes in data and technology services for firms and litigation management departments, which will also move from Roseland to occupy 3,731 square feet at 1 Boland Drive
“The success of this leasing campaign highlights the value of thoughtful investments in office buildings and tenants’ demand in the marketplace for elevated workspaces,” Maguire said.
Upgrades at the property include the addition of a full-service cafeteria and dining area, a tenant lounge with an indoor golf simulator and a fitness center with locker rooms and showers, according to JLL. Ownership has also added electric vehicle charging stations to the parking facility, which includes a covered executive parking garage, while 1 Boland is fully supported by a 1,000-kilowatt backup generator.
JLL announced the deals while noting that law firms were the most active sector during the final three months of 2024, accounting for nearly 40 percent of signed leases during that time. That has benefited 1 Boland Drive, which is three miles from downtown Montclair, 15 minutes from Newark and adjacent to the Essex Green Town Center with an array of national and local retail brands, restaurants, services and entertainment venues.
