Stonehill at West Orange at 1000 Executive Drive in West Orange — Courtesy: BNE Real Estate Group
By Joshua Burd
A sweeping new development with more than 400 apartments and a public library has taken shape in West Orange, revitalizing what was an ailing office park overlooking Interstate 280.
Its developer, BNE Real Estate Group, is touting the project at 1000 Executive Drive as a model of smart land use planning and collaboration with government officials. That’s evident by the arrival of hundreds of renters to date at what’s known as Stonehill at West Orange, including record leasing velocity in October and November, since the complex opened in April.
The firm added that the new 32,000-square-foot West Orange Public Library opened last December, helping preserve 130,000 square feet of recently renovated office space, while a two-acre dog park opened at the property in May.
“We saw developing Stonehill as an opportunity to deliver a next-level residential community to this exciting new neighborhood in West Orange,” said Jonathan Schwartz, a partner at BNE Real Estate Group. “Our vision was to combine the creature comforts of home with the lifestyle perks of a five-star resort, all in an ideal location near shopping, dining and entertainment options. The property is truly one-of-a-kind, and with Stonehill as its signature element, it is a successful example of what a municipality and a developer can achieve when working together to revitalize a property for modern uses.”
Designed by Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners, with interiors by Mary Cook Associates, Stonehill at West Orange has a combined 423 rental homes and 44,000 square feet of amenity space across three buildings. Residents have access to two on-site lifestyle clubs with multiple social lounges, fitness centers and entertainment zones, as well as an outdoor swimming pool with private cabanas, multiple coworking lounges with private offices, an indoor and outdoor movie lounge, poker and card rooms, virtual sports simulators and other perks.
The community is the anchor of BNE’s redevelopment of what was more than 400,000 square feet of ailing office space. The remaining space is home to the new library designed by Arcari + Iovino Architects, which is larger than the township’s previous library, allowing the latter to be converted into affordable senior housing and a community center with branch services.
Stonehill is also next to the Essex Green Town Center, which was recently renovated and houses 26 new retail businesses, including ShopRite, Starbucks, Petco, Panera, Total Wine & More and AMC Dine-In Theatres. BNE, which has also completed major redevelopments in Chatham and South Amboy, noted that the West Orange project dovetails with national real estate trends around rising vacancy in office space and benefits from the township’s willingness to have a diverse mix of uses that benefits renters, office workers, library patrons, dog owners, local businesses and taxpayers.
BNE launches leasing at 400 rentals in West Orange, bringing new life to ex-office property
