August 28, 2019
The Blau & Berg Company and Hudson recently signed multiple leases for three retail properties in Newark, NJ on behalf of RBH Group, a community-oriented developer headquartered in Newark and specializing in social impact developments. The deals were brokered by Christian Benedetto, Director of Business Development, The Blau & Berg Company, and Greg Levine, SVP at Hudson, and Founder of Synergy Realty Advisors. The mix of 14 retail tenants reflects 10 small businesses, 9 minority owned businesses and 8 women-owned businesses.
The first property, Teachers Village, is a mixed-use community located on five blocks along Halsey Street in the heart of downtown Newark. Offering first-class amenities, the project features 60,000 SF of retail, 204 fully-occupied residential units, 3 charter schools and a daycare facility. New retail leases recently signed and totaling more than 20,000 SF include Inspira Performing Arts & Cultural Center; Dressed Up; Mangia Organica; Brick City Strength; Divino Tasting Room, Eatery & Lounge; The Chen School and Brilliant Smiles Pediatric Dentistry.
Rutgers University-Newark’s Honors Living-Learning Community (HLLC), a 320,000 SF new development, is located on the block bounded by Washington, Halsey, New and Linden Streets in downtown Newark. It includes a 400-bed Rutgers University student housing component and 25,000 SF of retail. HLLC is a transformative college access and success program that fosters the academic, social and personal development of talented students from all walks of life with a desire to make a difference in their communities and beyond. The HLLC creates a residential learning community comprised of students, faculty and community partners focused on tackling some of the nation’s most pressing social issues. Recent tenants to sign leases and take advantage of this prime location with access to the built-in student population and proximity to a large daytime workforce include Serena Space Yoga, Mangia Organica, Xi’an Taste, Shawafel House and Jersey Mike’s Subs.
Columbia Bank recently opened its 50th community branch on the ground floor of 905 Broad Street below the Great Oaks Charter School, which occupies the balance of the building located across from City Hall. The branch is a rare retail and drive-thru location with close proximity to Rutgers University, Berkeley College, NJIT and Seton Hall Law School. This full-service location taps into the local university community, commuters and area visitors to the nearby City Hall, Prudential Center and Marriott Courtyard.
“Christian Benedetto at The Blau & Berg Company working alongside Greg Levine and Hudson, have done a great job of bringing local, entrepreneurial retailers into our Teachers Village, 909 Broad Street and Rutgers University-Newark’s Honors Living-Learning Community projects,” said Ron Beit, CEO, RBH Group. “Together we are creating job opportunities and bringing a new vibrancy to downtown Newark.”
About RBH Group
Located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, RBH Group, LLC (www.rbhgrp.com) and its sister companies RBH Project and RBH Management (“RBH”), offer full-service real estate financing, development and management services to foster urban redevelopment in Opportunity Zones nationwide. RBH deploys in-house expertise that includes project financing, master planning, predevelopment, project/construction management, owner’s rep services, and project execution. RBH brings a wealth of experience and focused attention to addressing a full range of real estate needs. RBH developed the Teachers Village Project, the Aerofarms project, Rutgers-Newark’s Honors Living-Learning Community, and is currently developing the Four Corners Millennium Project in the historic Four Corners area of downtown Newark. RBH opened its second Teachers Village project in Hartford in May 2019, and is planning future Teachers Village projects in Chicago, Atlanta and Baltimore, among other cities.
About The Blau & Berg Company
The Blau & Berg Company (www.blauberg.com) was founded in 1932 and holds a leading position in the New Jersey and Tri-State commercial real estate market. Headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey, The Blau & Berg Company is an independent, full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, providing expert and personalized services in industrial, office and retail real estate, including: site selection, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, tenant representation, portfolio sales, asset repositioning, and property & construction management.
About Synergy Realty Advisors
Synergy Realty Advisors is a commercial real estate investment, leasing and advisory firm specializing in retail with over 25 years of experience representing Landlords and Tenants throughout the United States.
