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Full of Character for a Lot Less Rent in Bayonne, NJ
Reprinted from The New York Times, 8/21/2014
Two years ago, Matt Jackson returned to New York for work. After 14 years in Dallas, he was unprepared for the high rents, small spaces and quick turnaround. “Apartments turn over within hours,” he said. So he landed on Roosevelt Island, because a place there was available, affordable and large enough to fithis furniture. His onebedroom at the Octagon, at the north end of the island, rented for around $2,500 a month. Mr. Jackson, who grew up in Westchester, had an uneventful fist year there. He teaches American history at a school on the Upper East Side, and when he returned home from work, he generally ate dinner and Skyped or Facetimed with his fiancée Angela Putman, who was working on her Ph.D. in communication at the University of New Mexico. When Ms. Putman, 39, joined Mr. Jackson, 46, last summer, they stuffed two lifetimes into the one bedroom. Some of it...
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Urban-style Silk Lofts Now Open in Bayonne
Reprinted from The Bergen Record, 3/14/2014
Leasing will open shortly for Silk Lofts, a unique collection of 85 Brooklyn-style loft residences transforming the former Maidenform factory in the City of Bayonne. A VIP Priority List is currently forming for the initial phase of studio,one and two-bed-room homes which are expected be released to the public in early April, with initial occupancy scheduled for May, according to Silk Lofts, LLC, which is transforming the century old factory where the modern bra originated and where military parachutes and carrier pigeon vests were manufactured during WWII into a series of distinctive loft apartments. The homes will offer modern living spaces and amenities while re-taining dramatic original structural elements. Two model homes will be available for viewing in late March. The collection of three interconnected, will feature a limited offering of artist lofts...
READ MORE...Grant Fund Façade Improvements to Downtown Facade Nutley, NJ
February, 29 2012
CSR Group recently provided design services and construction has been completed for two commercial properties near the intersection of Center Street and Franklin Avenue in the heart of Nutley Commercial Center. These brick and frame structures underwent mortar brick façade improvements and repairs including masonry restoration, new storefronts, awnings, signage and lighting. The owner took advantage of HUD Block Grant-CERP (Community Economic Revitalization Program) funds made available and administered through the Essex County Division of Housing and Community Redevelopment and coordinated with the Township of Nutley, NJ.
The Essex & Sussex: Spring Lake, New Jersey
Façade Restoration Project
CSR Group: Consultants and Owner’s Representatives
It was the last of the grand hotel buildings, elegant despite its enormity. The Essex & Sussex towers over Spring Lake's south end pavilion and dwarfs beach-front mansions on either side. The American flag atop the roof cupola is lighthouse-high. From the penthouse balcony below it, on a clear day, the new, rectangular high-rises of Long Branch can be seen to the north. On a clear summer night, there's a neon glow from the Point Pleasant Beach amusements. The Hotel was built in 1914 a century ago by Martin Maloney, whose gas light company lit Philadelphia and other eastern cities.
The Essex and The Sussex was converted into an oceanfront condo building with studio, one or two bedroom homes. The public rooms were painstakingly restored and updated for today’s lifestyle. There are 165 homes in The Essex and The Sussex –. It is an age-restricted, luxury building, with price tags and monthly maintenance fees high enough to keep the building in landmark tone.
Leon Cohen, Executive Vice-President of CSR Group said “The Essex & Sussex is no longer a summer resort. The owners are year-round residents, living in modern units behind the Federal style facade of yellow stucco and brown terra cotta bricks. Being exposed to the oceans winds and uninviting rainfalls made this building a difficult one to waterproof while maintaining the character and original details where possible. We were lucky to work with Taylor Management and their consultants and develop an organization to complete this work successfully. CSR Group acted as Owner’s Representatives for the façade Restoration & Waterproofing Project completed in 2011.
CSR Group is pleased to announce that in conjunction with Alt Energy Group, LLC and PWI Solar of Arizona, they just completed a 480 KW Solar array. The array is currently operating at the main headquarters for Reddy Raw, Inc., a longtime client of CSR Group.
Reddy raw is a distributor of many food products throughout the northeastern part of the United States. Their use of refrigerated warehousing made them an excellent candidate for solar. The firm anticipates that the system will have a payback of 4 to 6 years and will generate positive cash flow for the business, and reduced monthly energy costs. Reddy Raw, Inc is the direct owner of the solar array and financed the project by a local New Jersey bank.
Leon Cohen, Executive Vice-President of the CSR Group and also a principal of Alt Energy Group, LLC was the owners representative on the project.
Early stages of demolition has started on the former “Maidenform” building in Bayonne , New Jersey was announced by “ Leon Cohen, AIA Executive Vice President of the CSR GROUP. The project which is slated to start in the 4th quarter of 2011 will feature 85 Rental units designed in as “loft style units”. The original manufacturing facility was a bustling facility for ladies undergarments thru the late 1900’s before relocating its corporate offices. The project is seeking approvals from the National Park Service, NPS for its renovations that maintain the original character of the original 1890’s façade and interior structural elements. The developer Silklofts, LLC is in partnership with the CSR Group on this project.
Leon Cohen, Executive Vice President of The CSR Group, announced the award for the construction of a new branch bank for Valley National Bank. The new branch will be located on 86th Street in Brooklyn NY. The project is slated to commence in September 2010 and expected to be completed by Summer 2011. The bank is located in a thriving urban neighborhood near Hamilton Parkway.
The two story building will feature a prototypical design for the bank which includes a masonry, concrete and glass façade. “It’s great to have been selected by one of our long time clients to construct this project . We value our relationship with Valley National Bank.”
In 2005 when the Chestnut Street Manor was completed, the Design-Build firm, CSR Group, the developer and architect of the project made some decisions that today have stood the test of time relative to material choices and energy management. The 7 unit condominium was designed with energy and owner savings in mind. The building was designed with a white EPDM roof to reduce energy loads on the footprint, R-26 full blown in cellulose insulation at the perimeter walls and a full radiant floor heating system operated by gas fired 92% efficient wall-hung boilers. In addition electric water heaters were used with excellent heat recovery and were individually metered for full tenant control.
Today after 6 years of operation, we are very pleased with the results said Leon Cohen, AIA, Executive V.P. of the CSR Group and also the Managing Principal of AltEnergy Group, LLC. During the last board meeting we have decided to reduce the common area maintenance charges because our winter heating bills are much less that we anticipated. It cost an owner in that building $ 290.00 per month in CAM charges, which includes all of the common areas maintenance and unit insurance costs. When we mean all, we include cleaning, landscaping, heating and electricity and fire alarms for the common hallways in the building. To put that into perspective from an energy point of view tenants are paying about, $ 50 to $65 per month to heat the condo space they own. The units are approximately 1,100 SQ FT. Air Conditioning costs are individually maintained by the owners of their respective units and manage their own summer bills.
It’s great to know that in these times of uncertainty and high energy costs, this building is reducing the carbon footprint and also is operating at great efficiency. “The lessons we learned from this project will certainly enable us to be improve on these standards for future projects.”
CSR Group Named to Provide Services for SILKLOFTS Residential Project, Bayonne, NJ
May, 20 2010
Nutley, NJ . . . . Leon Cohen, Executive Vice President of CSR Group, announced the award of this valued project by SILKLOFTS, LLC the project developer. The development will create 99 condominium units in what was once the site of a silk factory and later became known as the Maidenform property, named for the company who manufactured ladies’ foundation garments at the site. The 99 units will consist of 61 one bedroom units, 28 two bedroom units and 10 three bedroom units and three ground floor retail units. In addition to an on-site parking garage, space for 102 cars will be provided on open lands adjacent to the building.
The project’s market valuation is nearly 25 million dollars and will yield an increase in net tax revenue to the city of some $400,000. In addition construction jobs will be created as well as post-construction jobs. The project is well situated providing partial views of the new Bayonne Golf Course and the New York City Skyline
News on ASPIRE..CSR Construction Corp. was honored by the First Baptist Development Center. CSR has been involved in several building projects for this community oriented organization.
Mr. Frank Salas, President of CSR Group said, "It's a bonus when your company can provide services to an organization whose core values, relative to community involvement is similar to its own."
He went on to say, "receiving this Community Business Partner Award from this hard working organization is an honor, and on behalf of our company and its staff, I thank the First Baptist Development Center for their recognition."
CSR Group consists of CSR Construction Corp., a general contracting and construction management firm and CSR Associates, an Architectural and Design Professional Firm.
The home, currently under construction is a structure consisting of two connecting 3500 square foot residences situated on the Hudson River.
Local zoning limitations for residential square footage necessitated the unique design approach. The demands created by minimal land area and bedrock available for construction led to the design of large cantilevered floor areas in order to establish the first and subsequent levels above the foundation and maximize the views of the river and New York skyline.
The walls are proportioned to a fourteen inch thickness and floors of seven inch thick one way slabs are supported on deep heavily reinforced concrete girders. The lowest level was designed as a reinforced concrete matt more than three feet in thickness to resist the overturning effects terraces and floors.
A great many unique elements were employed in the concrete mix including additions of super plasticizer and pigmented color along with micro silica, rust inhibitor and accelerating admixtures to cope with the consequences of a brackish water environment. Accordingly, all reinforcing bars placed in ®the over six hundred cubic yards of concrete were epoxy coated.
Leon Cohen, Executive Vice President of CSR Group, announced the award of this valued project by Netflix®, the innovative provider of DVD movie rentals.
The assignment entails the design and construction of office, warehouse and distribution center spaces to service the Trenton/Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia area. This is a tenant fit out within the Central Crossings Business Park, in Bordentown, Township, NJ.
NetflixThe successful business campus was developed by KOR Properties. The design and construction of the buildings within the complex were designed and built by CSR Group.
Completion of the project is scheduled for the summer of 2010.
Dennis Bator, AIA, PP, CSR Group's Senior Architect was the lead-in speaker at the September 2006 meeting of the NJ Council of the Credit Union's Executive Society.
The topic was entitled "The Rocky Road to Opening Day - Achieving the Owner's Building Goals".
Mr. Bator stressed open and frequent communication among the parties and adhering to schedules (financial and logistical). He stressed the role of the architects as a Client Advocate to attain the end result which is achieving the owner's goals.
CSR has a great deal of experience in the design, design and build and construction management of Credit Union and Banking Facilities. Among their financial clients are Affinity Federal Credit Union, Valley National Bank, Kearny Federal Savings and Proponent Federal Credit Union to name a few.
CSR Group consists of CSR Construction Corp., a general contracting and construction management firm and CSR Associates, an Architectural and Design Professional Firm.
CSR Group has announced the formation of a joint venture company which will provide affordable turnkey alternative energy solutions to commercial and residential clients.
Francisco J. Salas AIA and Leon Cohen AIA, PP, principals of CSR Group, Michael Ashkenazi, PE, senior principal of Omni Tech Engineering and Michael Chilingerian Sales Engineer are the key executives of the new company. They will maintain offices in New Jersey, New York and Arizona.
Mr. Cohen stated, “this is something we have contemplated for some time. The two firms and our key staff members have worked together on hundreds of million dollars worth of design/build projects for the last 25 years. CSR handled the architectural design and development as well as the construction through its construction firm, CSR Construction Corp. while Omni-Tech provided engineering services.
Omni Tech is currently involved in several alternative energy design solutions as is CSR Group. Both firms, according to Mr. Salas , CSR President, have long been “green” companies and proponents of Solar Energy and Wind as cost effective renewable energy resources available.
Mr. Ashkenazi echoed his partners’ sentiments stating, “we are obliged to use our experience and background to provide services to those who are seeking tangible cost savings in their energy requirements while preserving our non-renewable resources. It’s good business for us and good business for our clients.”