Ironstate, Pegasus open Urby development in Harrison

Following the delivery of over 1,200 units in Staten Island and downtown Jersey City under the Urby brand, Ironstate Development held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the official opening of the third iteration of its brand in Harrison, Harrison Urby.

Following the delivery of over 1,200 units in Staten Island and downtown Jersey City under the Urby brand, Ironstate Development held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the official opening of the third iteration of its brand in Harrison, Harrison Urby.

The co-founders of Ironstate, Michael Barry and David Barry, were joined by Harrison Mayor James Fife and members of his administration at the ceremony on Tuesday.

Harrison Urby, a joint-venture between Ironstate Development and the Pegasus Group, delivered 409 rental units to 777 South Third St. in Harrison.

“It’s a great pleasure to be here and welcome Ironstate and Pegasus,” Fife said. “Dave and Michael Barry, they’ve been great to the town of Harrison. These guys had the good plans and we had the good idea to help them along.”

The Pegasus Group and Ironstate have been in business in Harrison for over 10 years, David Barry said. In August of last year, they opened a 138-room hotel, Element Harrison-Newark.

A second phase of Harrison Urby, adjacent to the first phase and two blocks from the Harrison PATH station, has already broken ground and will be ready to occupy in 12 months.

“Pegasus and Ironstate still have a commitment to the town of Harrison,” Fife said. “Two more buildings plus the geochemical site, which was maybe the major eyesore of the town. And it’s gone and Pegasus and Ironstate have purchased it.”

The second phase of Harrison Urby will deliver an additional 270 units to the complex. Rents start at $1,800 for a studio up to $3,200 for a two-bedroom.

“We are thrilled to open a third Urby location in one of Hudson County’s fastest growing areas,” said David Barry, CEO of Urby and president of Ironstate Development “Harrison Urby illustrates the Urby brand’s commitment to creating efficient apartments located near mass transit.”

As with its other Urby products, Michael Barry said the Harrison complex was designed to give people the opportunity to create a community around the amenity space. Like in the Jersey City and Staten Island complexes, Harrison Urby was designed by Amsterdam-based architectural firm Concrete.

“It’s an important aspect to bring new perspective to developing real estate and not getting trapped in the same thing all the time,” Barry said. “The Dutch, in particular, are really good with spaces and efficient spaces. The Europeans in general have an interesting commitment to community and I think that is important in this world of digital and disconnection. I think it’s important to think about those things.”

Harrison Urby is 20 minutes away from Lower Manhattan. The four-story set of buildings began leasing in late-August of this year and currently has over 120 residents.

“At Harrison Urby, the two-story Coperaco Café, located in the lobby, features a 30-foot tree house library and a Steinway baby grand piano for performances,” a spokesperson for Urby said in a news release. “The nearby Urby Blues is an onsite recording studio that serves as a practice space for Urby’s jazz musician-in-residence, Davell Crawford.

“Residents will also have access to a two-story fitness center with cardio and weight equipment, a yoga room and regularly scheduled fitness classes. The Urby Kitchen is a communal chef’s kitchen that is used to host culinary classes, wine tastings and events from local business owners, including pop-up dinners, a salon series and workshops for residents.”

Residents also have access to a heated saltwater swimming pool, patio, fire pits and space for lawn games including bocce ball. Harrison Urby also offers residents access to the ‘Woofgarden’ for dogs.

Ironstate’s David Barry thanked his team and the administration on its commitment to seeing Harrison grow.

“I want to thank the town, the town council, the building department and, last but not least, Mayor Fife, who has been a tireless advocate for this town,” he said. “He was a huge supporter of ours when he was on the council.

“Since he’s been Mayor (2014), he’s been an absolute pleasure to work with. They are rational, they care about the development and the existing residents, and they truly care about the new people who are moving in to this town. And that’s unusual because most towns have divisive politics or fractured leadership, but it’s just been a pleasure to work here and we wish Mayor Fife many more years.”

Barry said he expects the first phase of Harrison Urby to be fully stabilized in less than 10 months.