New Leases Reflect Repositioning Success at WestSide Center in North Bergen

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. - July 6, 2015 - PRLog -- Three new, long-term tenant commitments totaling nearly 68,000 square feet at WestSide Center in North Bergen reflect strong demand following the office property’s recent repositioning and modernization by owner Real Capital Solutions. Commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield’s Curtis Foster and Jerry Shifrin serve as exclusive leasing agent for the 300,000-square-foot, former Liz Claiborne, Inc. headquarters located at 5901 West Side Avenue.

Victoria Classics leased 31,000 square feet at WestSide Center, relocating its headquarters to the property from Edison, New Jersey. The firm began more than 25 years ago as a specialty home textile retailer; today it operates as a wholesaler and major U.S. importer in that niche. Frank Recine and Dan Reider at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank served as tenant brokers for Victoria Classics.

Premiere Response, which offers high-level inbound and outbound contact center services for consumer and business communication, leased 26,000 square feet at WestSide Center. The lease represents an expansion for the firm, a division of American Customer Care®, which operates 11 call centers in seven domestic locations. Tim Cadigan and Bill McCaffrey from Avison Young represented Premiere Response in the transaction.

Axis Global Logistics leased 10,700 square feet and will relocate its corporate headquarters to WestSide Center from Maspeth, Queens, New York. This space is an addition to Axis’ current footprint in New Jersey of three warehouse/ distribution centers. The transportation and logistics company specializes in the creation of supply chain solutions for clients in a variety of industries. Cushman & Wakefield’s Dan Johnsen and Stephen Elman served as brokers for the tenant.

According to Foster, the recent leases speak to the success of WestSide Center’s repurposing as a multi-tenant property. The eight-story building was developed in 1994 for Liz Claiborne, Inc., which became Fifth & Pacific Companies before being renamed Kate Spade & Company. Upon the property’s sale to RCS in 2013, the organization leased back nearly 107,000 square feet on a long-term basis.

Commensurate with fitting out the Kate Spade space, RCS modernized the property – leveraging its dramatic, five-story atrium lobby to create an environment reminiscent of New York City’s Chelsea Market, with abundant natural light and brick accents. This theme carries throughout the building with new and updated finishes in bathrooms, lobbies, elevators and the parking structure.

“In addition to its trendy, loft-style feel, WestSide Center offers large, adaptable floor plates that work to accommodate today’s popular open work environments,” Foster said. “This property presents an opportunity for even small tenants to land at a corporate headquarters-quality facility with superior technology infrastructure and a full suite of on-site amenities – all for competitive pricing in the desirable New Jersey Meadowlands market.” Cushman & Wakefield is marketing the property to tenants as small as 5,000 square feet.

WestSide Center offers a professionally managed, institutional-quality cafeteria providing upscale food service. The property also offers a fully equipped lifestyle gym with aerobic and yoga classes, country club-style locker rooms and two rooftop basketball courts. Other features include on-site guard service, abundant covered parking, direct bus service to Manhattan and exclusive shuttle service between the property and Secaucus junction, operational between morning and evening commuting hours.

Tenants enjoy sweeping views of the Meadowlands sports complex and waterways. West Side Plaza sits in an Urban Enterprise Zone near abundant retail, restaurants, entertainment and lodging; just 2.4 miles from the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 3; six miles from Manhattan; and 13 miles from Newark Liberty International Airport.