This article is sponsored by Donovan Realty and Development Inc – the Jersey City-based full-service brokerage handling the commercial lease-up of Cast Iron Lofts.
The local watering hole. That spot that makes the best latte. A place to meet up with good company. Outposts like these can be a big selling point for residents when moving into a new neighborhood, but before the coffee is brewed or dinner is served, those businesses need to find the perfect space that will help them conquer the marketplace.
That’s where Donovan Realty and Development comes in. The company has been working in Downtown Jersey City for over a decade and is a full-service firm that works with buyers, sellers, and renters, plus business owners who are looking for commercial space to fit their needs. Perhaps the biggest project the company is working on is at the Cast Iron Lofts developments, which are located in the city’s quickly emerging SoHo West neighborhood.
Donovan has been very instrumental in placing new businesses in the buildings, brokering leases for several upcoming establishments including 8 Springs Studio, a Pilates Megaformer gym and juice bar. Donovan also placed Brewshot, a soon-to-open coffee and wine bar, in the development and is currently in the middle of negotiations with a gourmet market that would lease approximately 10,000 square feet of space at the complex.
The balance of the vacant retail in the current Cast Iron Lofts buildings has been earmarked for “destination eateries,” which Donovan sees as something akin to the Zeppelin Hall Biergarten. The company says they are speaking with home-grown cafés as well as national restaurants, but would like to keep it local if possible. Available square footage for the eatery spaces ranges from 1,000 to 6,000 square feet.
Further down the line, Donovan will also be shopping around the retail space that’s being included in the third phase of Cast Iron Lofts, dubbed the SoHo Lofts. The currently under construction project, which is made up of two connected buildings directly across the street, is slated for completion in late 2017 and the development’s second building should also be ready to lease shortly thereafter.
SoHo Lofts will consist of approximately 400 new residential units and will sport over 17,000 additional square feet of retail space that Donovan will look to fill. The company also has some large projects in the works that include expansions of New York City business into the Jersey City and Hoboken area, something they already have a track record of being able to get accomplished.
Earlier this year, Donovan brought Buon’Italia to Jersey City, where the popular Italian marketplace opened a warehouse and storage facility. Donovan is currently working with the Chelsea Market-based company to find them space for a Jersey City location, something that should happen in the near future.
Businesses interested in learning more about Jersey City and the opportunities at the Cast Iron Lofts should contact Donovan Realty at (201) 451-5054. They can also visit their website at donovanrealtygroup.com or drop by their office at 277 Grand Street in Downtown Jersey City.
