Bijou Properties to expand portfolio in Morris and Essex counties

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Bijou Properties is set to expand its portfolio of sustainable and luxury residential and commercial buildings into new and exciting markets in Northern New Jersey.

Bijou Properties has promoted Chris Mazzola to the role of director of development to direct its expansion into Morris and Essex Counties, while keeping a keen eye on current and future real estate activities in Hoboken. The new assignment expands Mazzola’s existing role overseeing the development of projects for Bijou Properties, including acquisitions, financing, design and construction, marketing, and leasing.

Inspired by the high volume of development activity in Hudson County, Bijou Properties turned its attention west where it has plans for new projects in emerging, transit-oriented suburbs such as Morristown and Montclair.

Based in Hoboken, Bijou Properties has been the most active developer in its home city having delivered $400 million in projects, including 350 units and 60,000 square feet of commercial space, in the past three years, the company said.

The key to Bijou’s growth and success has been an ability to identify development opportunities in up-and-coming neighborhoods, with access to mass transportation and retail, where it can create sustainable residences and public services and amenities that reflect the company’s signature focus on green building, according to Mazzola.

“We have a robust pipeline of future developments with over $350 million in mixed-use, multi-family properties under construction and plans to introduce cutting-edge buildings in the walkable, live/play downtown centers of Morristown and Montclair,” he said.

Bijou Properties’ current developments include VIA Lofts and Candela Lofts, a pair of upscale condominium buildings in uptown Hoboken that are on pace to receive LEED Platinum certification for homes from the U.S. Green Building Council. The seven-story Candela Lofts is the first Passive House luxury multi-family building in New Jersey.

The developer is also preparing for the 2019 debut of Edge Adams, a 34-unit rental building that will be the second property offered in its Edge Lofts apartment portfolio, and 700 Jackson, a new 424-unit rental that will include a state-of-the-art, 6,835 square-foot public gymnasium, and a two-acre resiliency park on Hoboken’s western edge.

Bijou Properties efforts at creating better neighborhoods and healthier environments through responsible development have not gone unnoticed. The company has won a variety of awards, including the 2018 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Awards for 700 Jackson, which was engineered with integrated flood resiliency measures including hundreds of thousands of gallons underground stormwater detention. In recognition of the complex engineering involved with the integrated resiliency measures, the project was also recently awarded the American Council of Engineering Companies New Jersey’s Honor Award for Non-Transportation Project. Previous Bijou Properties awards include, Mid-rise of the Year by Multi-Family Executive for The Vine, 2017; Excellence Award Winner for Mixed-Use Project by Urban Land Institute NNJ for Park + Garden, 2017; LOCUS Smart Growth America: Developer of the Year Honorable Mention, 2017; Developer of the Year, Hoboken Chamber of Commerce, 2015; Urban Green Project by USGBC NJ Chapter for Edge Lofts, 2013; Green Business of the Year, Hoboken Chamber of Commerce, 2013; and Beyond Green High Performance Multifamily by SBIC for Garden Street Lofts, 2008.