Retail, Office Complex Planned For Montclair Building

MONTCLAIR, NJ — An “adaptive reuse” is planned for a recently sold building near the historic Lackawanna Plaza intersection in Montclair, a firm says.

On Tuesday, a joint venture between Deugen Development LLC and Greenwood Development announced that it has acquired a 17,500 square-foot industrial/warehouse property at 6-8 Gates Avenue in downtown Montclair.

Located at the corner of Gates and Bloomfield Avenues, the redevelopment will be “an important extension” of one of North Jersey’s most in-demand, walkable residential and commercial corridors, according to a news release from Deugen.

The joint venture partnership plans an adaptive reuse of the building, including 5,000 square feet of Class-A retail and 15,000 square feet of “creative office use,” the firm said. It’s expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022.

According to Deugen:

“Originally constructed in 1926, the former warehouse property served as a moving and storage facility since the 1970s. Centrally situated in the C-1 Central Business zoning district, the four-story redevelopment has been granted Montclair Planning Board approvals. Plans include a 1,953 square foot addition and complete rehab of the existing facility to deliver first-class ground-floor retail, second-floor co-working/pod uses and third- and fourth-floor creative loft office spaces.”

“The 6-8 Gates Avenue former warehouse property is a natural fit for Deugen Development’s investment and redevelopment focus, which includes a commitment to preserving North Jersey’s historic-building charm while breathing new life and purpose into the region’s storied architectural skyline,” director of acquisitions Kristian Cichon said.

David Genova, Greenwood Development’s founder, said the retail space will be “designed to attract the kind of unique tenants – such as fitness studios, restaurants and art galleries – we’ve come to love in Montclair.”

Genova, who is responsible for the development of more than a dozen downtown mixed-use buildings in Montclair, including the restoration of the Wellmont Theater, said that floors two through four will feature “modern loft offices” with 11 to 14-foot ceiling heights and amenities such as lounges, print areas, outdoor spaces, conference space and parking.

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