● GKA
Student residence hall tops out
The new Pace University student residence hall at 33 Beekman Place, designed by Gene Kaufman Architect, P.C. (GKA) with interiors by Andres Escobar, has topped out and is on schedule to welcome residents in for the fall semester of 2015.
The 34-story property will accommodate 700 students. Located at the corner of Beekman Street and Williams Street, it is being developed by a joint venture of international investment groups.
GKA’s design for the building, its third student residence hall project for Pace, includes more space per student and state-of-the art systems and technology.
The new hall will offer a student lounge, library and study rooms, laundry facilities, a fitness center, a game room, screening room and a cafeteria.
●spector group
Architect designing beauty spot
Spector Group announced that it has been named the prime interior architect for Interparfums Luxury Brands, the US distribution entity of the Group.
Spector is working with the French fragrance and beauty company to design an 8,000 s/f space on the 12th floor of 112 Madison Avenue.
“It’s always exciting to help a company establish its first New York presence,” says Scott Spector, AIA, a principal at Spector Group.
“We’re working closely with the building’s landlord, Samco Properties, to design a visually appealing, yet budget-friendly office that suits the luxurious feel of the Interparfums brand through material and finish choices.”
Interparfums Luxury Brands is slated to move into its new space in late September 2014.
The offices will feature an open layout, exposed ceilings with pendant fixtures and a spacious conference room.
● skanska USA
Injury free and proud
The greater Philadelphia office for Skanska USA, the American arm of the $20B international construction and infrastructure development firm, hosted its 6th annual IFE (Injury-Free Environment®) Subcontractor Outreach event at Drexel University.
This year’s event attracted owners and executives from more than 65 of the top contractors based in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey to learn and share best practices to make construction jobsites safer, and to improve safety culture throughout the industry.
As a leader and pioneer in safety, Skanska holds safety on jobsites as an utmost priority.
In the first quarter of 2014, Skanska’s greater Philadelphia office experienced zero lost-time incidents on all their jobsites.
●health-care real estate advisor
Project HOPE celebration
Ground was broken for a 10,000 s/f Project H.O.P.E. community health center in Camden, NJ.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Camden Mayor Dana Redd and State Senator Donald Norcross joined CEO Patricia DeShields, Kathy Grant-Davis of the New Jersey Primary Care Association, and a host of supporters of the federally funded $4.7-million community health center.
“Project H.O.P.E. is a community health center that has provided health care services to the population of Camden since 1993,” said Marisa Manley, president of New York-based HealthCare Real Estate Advisors and owner’s rep and project manager for the new facility.
“Based on a public-private partnership, the plan is to maximize every inch of this urban site, the federal funding available, and the services Project H.O.P.E. can provide.”
Project H.O.P.E. (Homeless Outreach Program Enrichment) expects to occupy its new facility in April, 2015 at West Street and Clinton, a redevelopment zone just a few blocks from Cooper University Hospital.
The West Street and Clinton site is presently occupied by an existing 3000 square foot facility under a lease from the city of Camden. It will be demolished after the new building is complete.
Saphire and Albarran are the architects for this project. O.A. Peterson is the general contractor.
●fogary finger
31 Penn transformed
31 Penn Plaza has just finished undergoing a two-year architectural transformation.
Designed by Fogary Finger, the renovations include a new front entrance, fully renovated lobby, modernized elevators and added retail amenities.
The changes were aimed at making 31 Penn Plaza an attractive option for tenants seeking space in a new development with unparalleled transportation options in Manhattan.
Fogarty Finger utilized the building’s historic attributes to re-purpose the building with aesthetically pleasing structural, interior and technological updates.
“31 Penn Plaza was a complete building transformation,” said Chris Fogarty and Robert Finger.
“By closing one of the two original building entries and defining one main entrance, Fogarty Finger was able to transform a tired mid-block prewar building into one of the most recognizable buildings in Midtown South.”
Savanna, a New York-based real estate private equity and asset management firm, acquired the 18- story, 444,000 s/fbuilding in 2011 and has since completed 225,000 square feet of leasing throughout the building.
●normandy / MRY
Partners start boutique project
MRY Associates, founded by real estate industry veteran Mark Yeager, in partnership with Normandy Real Estate Partners, has broken ground on 466 Springfield Avenue, a new, 32,500 s/f, boutique office and retail building in downtown Summit, N.J.
Construction of the Class A building, which will feature a mix of 28,000 s/f of headquarters-quality office space and 4,500 square feet of high-quality, ground-floor retail space, is expected to be complete in the spring of 2015.
According to MRY Associates, while site work has only just begun, demand for both the office and retail components of the development has already started to swell.
“This development’s prestigious location in Summit, which features one of New Jersey’s foremost downtown districts, has proven to be a huge draw for businesses and merchants in the area,” stated Yeager.
“We’re eager to watch this state-of-the-art building rise out of the ground in the coming months, providing Summit with an infusion of in-demand, high-quality Class A commercial space.”
The site of 466 Springfield Avenue is situated in a central downtown location, two blocks from an NJ TRANSIT rail link that provides Midtown Direct service, as well as direct lines to Hoboken and Newark.
