Growth in Hoboken’s southwest corner has inspired the owners of an office building to re-imagine their property, and changes including restaurant space, a roof deck, and valet parking will be coming soon to 50 Harrison Street.
You might never guess by looking at it, but the history of the 78,000-square foot Hoboken Business Center goes all the way back to 1935. The three-story building, which spans a full city block, was once home to the Cut-Rite Wax Paper Company before being rehabilitated into office space by the Dell’Aquila family in 2003. It has since played host to various small businesses and features incubator space dubbed Mission 50 for start-up companies.
In late September, the city’s Zoning Board approved an expansion of the building, which will add three stories to the existing structure. The building’s revamped exterior is going for an “industrial chic” look with large glass windows cladding the new top floors. Office space in the new Hoboken Business Center will total 125,520-square feet under the plan.
The expanded building, which will rise 92 feet, will feature its own off-street loading zone and sport 24 spaces for bicycle parking. The fifth and sixth floors will have 12-foot terrace areas, plus a new 7,000-square foot deck will be built on the property’s roof. A new lobby fronting Observer Highway is to be constructed on the first floor, where the building’s revamp will perhaps be felt the most.
In an effort activate the streetscape, the entire bottom floor of the building will be gutted to make way for restaurant spaces that are huge by Hoboken standards. The two spots will both face Observer Highway and the newly-opened Southwest Park. One will boast 5,650-square feet on the corner of Marshall Street and the other will run 4,120-square feet on Harrison Street.
During Zoning Board testimony, the stated plan with the oversized spaces is to attract some serious restaurateurs, and diners arriving by car might easily find a place to drop their vehicle in parking-strapped Hoboken. 310 parking spaces are included in the plan, 222 of which are traditional spaces in a lot, plus 88 valet spots. A valet queue will be entered into from the corner of Marshall Street and Observer Highway, and new parking tree diamonds will be planted in the lot.
Hoboken’s southwest neighborhood has seen some pretty significant development in recent years, which includes retail components. The city also passed a plan earlier this year hoping to spur some additional amenities for the area, including a parking garage at Hoboken Business Center’s current lot.
While that portion of the plan seems to be off the table for now following the recent approvals, locals can look forward to more of a true destination in the upcoming transformation of the Hoboken Business Center.
