Kirschner presented the award to Robert Wolfe, general manager of the Princeton Forrestal Center, at the 46th Annual New Good Neighbor Awards luncheon, held June 2 at the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place in Iselin.
“This project transformed an aging and obsolete academic research building into first-class office space,” NJBIA President Philip Kirschner said. “With its natural light, central location, historic landscape design and windows that can actually be opened, the building soon attracted the architect itself, Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC (FMG), as its first tenant.”
Built in 1917 by the Rockefeller Institute, this one-time Princeton University research center was in need of a complete renovation by the time FMG undertook its feasibility study of the property. Converting the Chemical Sciences Building and the Forrestal Campus from an academic research facility into first-class business offices took seven years and $3 million.
Under the designs of FMG, three separate builders—The Yedlin Company of Princeton, Massimino Building Corp. of Newtown, Pennsylvania, and Sweetwater Construction Corp., LLC of Cranbury—undertook the renovations.
New systems were installed, including environmentally sustainable features such as low-volume plumbing and metered faucets. The interior space was left as a shell in order to accommodate the space needs of individual tenants.
Drawn to the building by features such as natural daylight, operable windows, its central location, new building systems, historic landscape design and the reuse of a significant historic structure, FMG decided to relocate into the building as its first tenant. The facility currently employees 75 full-time workers and fit-out is underway for more tenants.
The project was nominated by Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu.
The New Good Neighbor Awards Luncheon annually brings together a dynamic group of builders, architects, engineers and others in the development community to honor those responsible for the State’s most impressive new commercial construction and renovation projects. An independent panel of 23 judges selected the 12 winners based on economic impact, architectural merit and community involvement. In all, 29 applications representing more than $600 million in construction costs and 7,000 jobs were submitted.
With more than 23,500 members, NJBIA is the nation’s largest state-level employers association. New Jersey Business magazine is NJBIA’s flagship publication. |
