Repositioned suburban New Jersey office building nears full occupancy

WEST ORANGE, N.J., March. 31, 2025 – JLL announced today it has leased nearly 74,000 square feet of office space in a series of transactions at 1 Boland Dr., a Class A suburban office property located in vibrant, well-connected West Orange, New Jersey.

Owned by Offices at Crystal Lake, LLC, 1 Boland Dr. has been fully repositioned to accommodate multiple tenants seeking an elevated working environment, best-in-class amenities, and superior transit access.

Ownership has invested over $1.2 million to upgrade the amenity floor and lobby within the three-story, 130,211 square foot trophy property, while adding a full-service cafeteria and dining area, tenant lounge with indoor golf simulator, and fitness center with locker rooms and showers. EV charging stations have also been incorporated into the parking facility, which includes a covered executive parking garage. 1 Boland is also fully supported by a 1,000kw backup generator.

In recent months, JLL has completed seven new leases at 1 Boland Dr.:

• Law firm Callahan Fusco signed a long-term lease to relocate from Roseland, N.J. to occupy 16,300 square feet across the third floor. The tenant was represented by Stephen Graziano and Jim Bailey at Colliers.
• Newly launched law firm PEM Law LLP signed a lease to occupy 12,269 square feet across the first floor. The tenant was represented by Chip Conklin at Savills.
• Manzi Epstein Lomurro Decataldo (MELD), a law firm specializing in divorce and family law, relocated and expanded from Montclair to 9,152 square feet on the first floor at 1 Boland Dr. MELD was represented by Jeff Kolodkin at Newmark.
• Architectural firm Rotwein & Blake signed a long-term lease for 5,265 square feet on the second floor and will relocate from Livingston. They were represented in-house.
• Swavelle Group, a leader in textile and fabric design and one of America’s leading family-owned companies, relocated from Garfield to 4,710 square feet on the first floor. John Crawford and Eric Zemachson of Newmark represented Swavelle.
• CFI Consultants, a company that specializes in data and technology services for firms and litigation management departments, will also relocate from Roseland to occupy 3,731 square feet at 1 Boland
• Dr. The tenant was represented by Stephen Graziano and Jim Bailey at Colliers.
• Finally, BNE Real Estate has leased 22,373 square feet on the second floor to house its New Jersey headquarters.

A JLL team led by Senior Managing Director Jason Benson, Executive Vice President Colleen Maguire and Associate Alex Friedenberg, was retained by ownership to lead the repositioning of 1 Boland following the departure of long-time anchor tenant, CSG. Following a successful campaign, just 7,653 square feet remains available for lease on the second floor of the property.

Said Friedenberg, “The landlord’s significant investment in upgrading the building’s amenities underscores the flight to quality among tenants seeking modern, amenity-rich office spaces that enhance employee experience and productivity. Ownership understood the importance of making these improvements upfront proving that, if you build it, they will come.”

Added Maguire, “The success of this leasing campaign highlights the value of thoughtful investments in office buildings and tenant’s demand in the marketplace for elevated workspaces."

According to JLL’s Q4 2024 New Jersey Office Insight, leasing activity is being driven by smaller-sized transactions. After eclipsing 27% in mid-year, the overall vacancy rate had retreated to 26.6% by year-end as tenants signed leases for higher-end workspaces and sublease availabilities trended lower. Legal services were the most active sector during the final three months of 2024, with law firms responsible for nearly 40% of signed leases.

Located directly off I-280,1 Boland Dr. benefits from an attractive location three miles from Downtown Montclair, 15 minutes from Newark, and accessible to multiple modes of public transit offering a 50-minute journey to Midtown Manhattan. 1 Boland Dr also sits adjacent to The Essex Green Shopping Centre which is a community destination with an array of national and local retail brands, popular restaurants, convenient services and entertainment venues.

JLL is a leader in the New Jersey tri-state commercial real estate market, with more than 4,800 of the most recognized industry experts offering brokerage, capital markets, property/facilities management, consulting, and project and development services.

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