PARSIPPANY, NJ–Elmwood Park-based Langan Engineering is relocating to the newly redeveloped 300 Kimball Drive in Parsippany, NJ. An extensive capital improvement program that transformed the single-tenant building into a multi-tenant office facility has driven occupancy from 10 percent to 62 percent in a one-year period.

"We had opportunities to move our corporate headquarters to adjacent states, but we believe that staying in New Jersey – where many of our clients are either headquartered or conduct their business – is essential to our long-term success,” David T. Gockel, president/CEO of Langan, tells GlobeSt.com exclusively.

Transwestern, which handles the leasing and management of the 400,000-square-foot building, will oversee construction management on behalf of the landlord during the fit-out of Langan's space.

Transwestern, through its public relations firm, declined to identify the building owner or put a dollar amount on the Langan lease.

“300 Kimball is setting the standard for redeveloping suburban buildings into highly desirable facilities that can compete with more urban locations,” says Transwestern partner and city leader James Postell, the lead leasing agent for the property. “Recognizing the growing trend of millennials gravitating toward convenience, we set out to transform 300 Kimball into the most amenities-rich and tenant-friendly office property in the market. The strong leasing is validation of our vision.”

In addition to the 71,500-square-foot lease by Langan Engineering, Transwestern has facilitated long-term leases at 300 Kimball Drive with financial technology services company Fiserv (78,500 square feet) and insurance company FM Global (55,200 square feet) for a total of 205,200 square feet during the last year. This uptick in leasing activity has been instrumental in attracting or retaining hundreds of jobs in Morris County.

Transwestern completed a full renovation of 300 Kimball Drive's lobby, which now features stainless steel pillars, polished Italian marble flooring, Shaw carpet tiles and wood wall covering. The lobby renovation also included eliminating a wood partition that separated the public and employee entrances, creating a modern, open and well-lit space conducive for multiple tenants.

The building's bistro was fully redesigned to incorporate additional seating for both group and individual dining. Additionally, Transwestern supervised the opening of a state-of-the-art fitness center with a wide variety of cardio and weight machines, free weights, yoga space and flat-screen televisions.   

As part of the plan, which was designed by architectural firm Gensler, Transwestern also implemented numerous strategies to strengthen the building's performance in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. As a result, the building was honored with LEED^® Silver certification and for the last three years has maintained an Energy Star^® rating of 96.

“The turnaround of 300 Kimball has been nothing short of remarkable,” says Transwestern managing director Matt McDonough, a member of the property's leasing team. “In just over a year since the completion of capital improvements, the property has been established as one of the premier office facilities in all of Northern New Jersey.”