It doesn’t take long to realize that golf and commercial real estate go hand in hand, but it was only recently that I learned of a new, rather unexpected connection. It comes by way of Old Bridge in Middlesex County, where the developer of a new nine-building, 4.2 million-square-foot industrial park has just opened an 18-hole public golf club on more than 200 acres. As you’ll read in this month’s cover story, the two properties are roughly three miles apart but are both critical pieces of the plan by 2020 Acquisitions, which planned, funded and built the course under a unique public-private partnership, allowing him to win the municipality’s support for the ambitious logistics campus. Local officials are now hailing the course as a signature piece of their open space program, one that they’ve coveted for nearly two decades, as the developer looks to make its mark with a transformative warehouse project.
Efrem Gerszberg, 2020 Acquisitions’ CEO, said it’s a story of both good will and good business.
“I had to make sure that it was a no-brainer,” he said of his discussions with Old Bridge township officials. “And the easiest way to make it a no-brainer was by giving back.”
Our latest issue also features an interview with the leaders of Gensler’s New Jersey office, as the practice marks 30 years in the state and a portfolio that includes some of its most high-profile redevelopment projects. The global design firm still finds itself at the forefront of the fast-changing office market, with questions about aging inventory and how to bring employees back to the workplace, while expanding its reach in several key growth sectors. They include established niches such as health care and life sciences, but also sports and studio production facilities. The Morristown-based team is tackling all of the above with a balance of local leadership and Gensler’s vast resources as a company, hoping that both its designers and its clients reap the benefits.
Elsewhere in this edition, we visit with Krista Korinis of Global Installation Resources LLC, the outgoing New Jersey chapter president for Commercial Real Estate Women Inc. With her term winding down, she feels the chapter is well-positioned after a year that was marked by continued philanthropy and expanded benefits for CREW NJ members. She’s now set to hand the reins to her successor, Ware & Malcomb’s Erica Godun, with membership on the rise and an events calendar that rivals any other networking group in the industry.
You can find those stories and more in Real Estate NJ’s winter issue, which comes amid continued unease about the lending environment and headwinds for even the strongest segments of the market. We will be with you every step of the way while still highlighting the industry’s many success stories, with coverage in our monthly issue and online at RE-NJ.com.
Until next time, thanks for reading and enjoy the issue!
Joshua Burd
Editor
josh@re-nj.com
