160 Essex Ave. East in Avenel — Courtesy: Sitex Group
By Joshua Burd
Sitex Group has repositioned a low-coverage industrial site in the Avenel section of Woodbridge, securing a lease with a fast-growing reverse logistics company.
According to the landlord, the deal with Lion Transportation follows a major update of the five-acre property at 160 Essex Ave. East. That included substantial upgrades to the existing 40,000-square-foot warehouse and logistics facility, new paving and lighting, enhanced truck circulation and improved infrastructure to accommodate outdoor storage and fleet parking, all seeking to capitalize on the site’s proximity to Exit 12 of the New Jersey Turnpike and Port Newark-Elizabeth.
Englewood-based Sitex, a privately held investor and developer of industrial real estate, acquired property in 2022 in a sale-leaseback transaction before undertaking what it described as a complete repositioning of the site to meet the growing needs of modern logistics users. Bussel Realty Corp. Senior Vice President Jordan Metz arranged the 2022 sale-leaseback and represented Sitex and the tenant in the most recent lease alongside Senior Associate Benito Abbate and Sales Associate James Friel.
Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP Partner Matthew Gilson represented the landlord in securing site plan approval and a D(1) use variance to permit an industrial outdoor storage at the property, leading a project team that also included Christopher Szalay of Menlo Engineering Associates, planner Sean Moronski of Langan Engineering & Environmental Services and MSW paralegal Stephanie McLeish.
“160 Essex Avenue East represents the type of strategic, high-barrier-to-entry investment that defines Sitex’s portfolio,” said Max Fuchsman, a vice president with the firm. “By combining creative deal structuring with thoughtful redevelopment, we transformed an underutilized site into a best-in-class logistics facility just minutes from the port.”
Blake Chroman, a principal at Sitex Group, added: “The rapid lease-up of this property underscores both the strength of the (industrial outdoor storage) sector and Sitex’s ability to execute quickly in supply-constrained markets. We continue to target similar opportunities where we can deliver functional, efficient space close to transportation infrastructure.”
Metz, meantime, said facilities like 160 East Essex Ave. “are increasingly scarce in North and Central New Jersey, as user demand far exceeds the supply of functional, zoned sites. 160 East Essex Avenue’s 44,000-plus square feet of distribution space and three acres of IOS was ideally suited for Lion Transportation & Warehouse’s business needs.”
