TSA signs on for 47K square feet in Union Township, JLL says

The Liberty Hall Corporate Center adjacent to Kean University is keeping the Transportation Security Administration as a tenant, with changes due for the occupier and the 210,000-square-foot office building overall.

JLL represented the owner, a joint venture partnership led by the Cali Family, in the 10-year transaction with TSA. Under the agreement, announced Sept. 8, the tenant will expand its footprint from the 41,000 square feet that it previously occupied as a subtenant to 47,000 square feet across the entire second floor and part of the first in a direct lease with the owner.

JLL Senior Managing Director David Stifelman and Executive Vice President Chris Conklin represented the landlord in the long-term lease with TSA. The firm was tapped as leasing agent for the five-story property at 1085 Morris Ave. in 2021.

According to the firm, TSA runs a network operations center from the property in support of Newark Liberty International Airport, which is just 2 miles away.

“We are thrilled that a credit tenant such as the TSA has chosen to solidify its presence in the property in what is a testament to its premier location and the many attributes that are demanded by companies today as they position themselves to attract and retain talent,” Conklin said in a statement.

Changing spaces

Another way that many companies are looking to attract and retain talent is through the amenities offered in the spaces they occupy. At Liberty Hall Corporate Center, JLL says building ownership is embarking on a building-wide renovation to elevate common spaces to the needs of today’s tenants.

Livingston-based architectural firm Rotwein+Blake has been retained to lead the project, which will add a new fitness center to the property; completely renovate the cafeteria, conference center and event space; and add amenities to indoor and outdoor spaces to create areas to meet and collaborate.

“As the repositioning gets underway, we look forward to re-introducing this headquarters-quality facility for the first time since its long-term occupancy by a single tenant,” Stifelman said.

Elizabethtown Gas previously occupied the property for many years, JLL said, on a triple-net lease until that agreement expired.

“Liberty Hall Corporate Center is situated within a walkable downtown community offering access to multiple retail options, new housing and a network of transportation alternatives, all of which will appeal to companies seeking amenity-rich suburban environments that serve as a central hub that inspires productivity and collaboration,” Stifelman added.

Indeed, the property is within walking distance of the town’s NJ Transit station and boasts connectivity to the Garden State Parkway, Interstate 78, Route 22, the New Jersey Turnpike and other major roadways, as well. Also a walk away: the Shoppes at Vermella Union, a complementary retail component to the also nearby Vermella Union community.