Soccer Stadium Breaks Ground in New Jersey

The $100 million stadium will be the centerpiece of a $1 billion mixed-use development in Harrison. Also, Brooklyn's Williamsburg Bank building goes condo.

Soccer Stadium Kicks Off

Work is under way on a new 25,000-seat stadium in Harrison, N.J., that will be the New York metropolitan area's first facility built especially for professional soccer. The facility is the hub of a planned mixed-use complex valued at $1 billion overall.

The stadium will be home for the New York Red Bulls, the Major League Soccer franchise that had been known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars until earlier this year, when Austria-based Red Bull GmbH, a soft drink maker, bought the team from AEG, a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment company. AEG will still develop the stadium however, which will be known as Red Bull Park.

The $100 million stadium will feature a 360 degree roof-canopy that covers most of the seating area and mimics the style of European soccer venues. The facility will also have locker rooms, customized sound and lighting systems, high-quality turf, and 53 luxury suites. AEG is funding the stadium budget.

The stadium project involves another $100 million in sitework and infrastructure, of which Hudson County is funding $60 million for roads and parking facilities. The Town of Harrison has put up $40 million for the purchase of the land, demolition of existing structures, and site abatement.

Upon its completion in 2008, the facility will join six other soccer-only stadiums built elsewhere in the country in recent years for MLS teams. It will also host concerts, clinics, and other sporting events.

The public-private stadium project is part of the broader Harrison MetroCentre complex on which Advance Realty Group plans to break ground in 2008, after the completion of extensive civil work to create a new roadway grid on the 110-acre site. The development will feature 3 million sq. ft. of office space, 300,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 3,500 residential units, a hotel, and 10,000 parking spaces, all within walking distance of the PATH subway system and Newark's Ironbound district.

Brooklyn Landmark Goes Condo

The Williamsburg Savings Bank, the tallest building in Brooklyn's skyline, is undergoing a $165 million transformation from historic landmark to luxury condominium.

The 1929 structure, renamed One Hanson Place, is slated to open 189 units mid next year with prices ranging from $350,000 to more than $3 million. Hunter Roberts Construction Group of New York began work this year as construction manager, with New York-based H. Thomas O' Hara Architects serving as architect.

The project developers are Dermot Co. of New York and Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds, a joint venture of two Beverly Hills, Calif., real estate firms - Canyon Capital Realty Advisors and Johnson Development, owned by former basketball great Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

The 512-ft.-high structure in Fort Greene will feature a Sky Lounge, gym, public terrace, children's play area, and business center. The project involves a full restoration of the lobby and other public spaces.

The 37-story tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, thanks in part to its signature clock tower and gilded dome.

Queens Residential Condo to Finish

The transformation of Long Island City from an industrial area into a residential and commercial district is in full swing, with another condominium tower slated for occupancy later this year.

The 12-story Echelon at 13-11 Jackson Avenue, being developed by Ron Hershco of Jamaica, N.Y., will be the first ground-up residential condominium built since a 2001 rezoning that aimed to transform the district. Michael Resnick of Valley Stream, N.Y., is the construction manager.

The $25 million project, designed by Newman Design Group of Cold Spring Hills, N.Y., will include 54 units ranging in size from 503-sq.-ft. studios to 1,176-sq.-ft. two-bedroom penthouses. Sale prices were starting at $300,000.

FXFowle Architects of New York designed the building's double-height lobby. The building will also have a roof deck, fitness facility, and onsite parking.

Chelsea's Housing Spurt Continues

An 11-story condominium under construction on 8th Avenue and W. 28th Street will be yet another marker in the residential resurgence of Manhattan's Chelsea district.

The $55 million ONYX Chelsea, under development by Bronfman Haymes Real Estate Partners of New York, topped out last month and is set to open in fall 2007. It will have vertical bands of light stretching from rooftop to sidewalk along its façade of layered glass, metallic panel, and granite. Units are selling from about $700,000 to $2,500,000.

The 52-unit building, designed by FXFowle Architects of New York with Kreisler Borg Florman of Scarsdale, N.Y., as construction manager, will have roof sun decks, concierge service, a fitness center, and a high-tech security system. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, 683 to 1,812 sq. ft. in size, will have loft-size windows and marble-walled baths.

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