Russo Development recently hosted 50 students from East Brunswick High School for a behind-the-scenes tour of The Raye by Vermella in New Brunswick and its Vermella East Brunswick project, doing so as part of the Urban Land Institute’s UrbanPlan program. — All photos courtesy: Urban Land Institute Northern New Jersey
By Joshua Burd
The developers of new apartment buildings in New Brunswick, East Brunswick and East Orange welcomed students to the properties recently as part of an Urban Land Institute program that exposes high schoolers to commercial real estate planning and construction.
Known as UrbanPlan, the program has operated in East Brunswick High School since 2019, when it was introduced to the district by ULI’s Northern New Jersey chapter. That has included partnering with Russo Development, which hosted 50 students on June 5 for a behind-the-scenes tour of The Raye by Vermella in New Brunswick and its Vermella East Brunswick project.
The trip marked the culmination of this year’s UrbanPlan curriculum in East Brunswick and the second year that Russo has welcomed participants to its properties.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with ULI NNJ in support of the UrbanPlan program and its mission to inspire the next generation of real estate and planning professionals,” said Ed Russo, CEO of Russo Development. “Allowing students to experience both an active development site and a completed community offers a unique, real-world perspective that brings the curriculum to life in a meaningful way.”
Created by ULI, UrbanPlan offers an opportunity for students to participate in hands-on, simulated real estate planning while working side-by-side with leading industry professionals, according to a news release. The program allows students to learn about the fundamental forces that affect development and how responsible projects can shape, transform and ultimately improve communities.
ULI NNJ is also marking Urban Plan’s second year with East Orange Campus High School, whose students recently toured a new five-story, 119-unit multifamily property in the city. Led by Hero Development’s Dennis McNeil and his team, the tour and discussion allowed the group of 25 to explore how the concepts they studied in the classroom are coming to life in their local community.
As it did in East Brunswick, the visit to 45 South Grove St. helped punctuate the year for students who had participated in a role-based simulation by taking on positions such as finance director, city liaison and site planner to respond to a fictional redevelopment challenge.
“The Modern is a powerful example of what responsible development can accomplish,” said Mara Winokur, executive director of ULI Northern New Jersey. “Bringing students to a site like this allows them to connect what they have learned in the classroom with the real decisions and partnerships that shape neighborhoods.”
Winokur offered similar comments after the visit with Russo, which showcased the newly completed project known as The Raye by Vermella, having redeveloped a former department store site in New Brunswick into 20,000 square feet of retail and 531 market-rate units. It also led students on a tour of Vermella East Brunswick, a project that will bring 753 apartments and 30,000 square feet of retail to a stretch of Route 18 under a joint venture with River Development Equities.
The program featured Russo executives including President for Property Management Adam Pasternack, Executive Vice President and Head of Development Chris Erb and Vice President for Marketing Courtney Mulligan. Also on hand were New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill, New Brunswick Councilwoman Suzanne Sicora, East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen and ULI NNJ program volunteers.
Hero Development, for its part, highlighted one of the latest additions to a portfolio that has more than 3 million square feet of real estate and over 2,100 residential units developed across New Jersey, the news release said. ULI noted that The Modern, as the building is known, sits on the former longtime site of the Blood Center of New Jersey and offers a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom loft-style apartments, along with amenities such as a rooftop lounge, a fitness center and multiple community spaces.
Joining the students were East Orange Councilwoman Naiima Fauntleroy and Councilman Christopher Awe, as well as East Orange Board of Education President Andrea McPhatter and Director of Teaching and Learning and Innovative Projects Paulette Salomon.
“This project is personal to me,” said McNeil, principal of Hero Development. “I started in construction when I was a teenager, and it means a lot to show the next generation what is possible. These students are the future of this industry and this city. We are proud to help them see how development can create positive, lasting change.”
Project tour, expansion to new schools helping to grow ULI’s UrbanPlan program for students
