NJBIA and its flagship publication, New Jersey Business Magazine, are honoring the visionaries behind 10 outstanding New Jersey development projects with New Good Neighbor Awards.

The 65th Annual New Good Neighbor Awards highlights a myriad of projects that have contributed to the economic growth in the state and in their respective neighborhoods.

“The winning projects have created about $400 million in capital improvements, more than 1,500 construction jobs and nearly 800 permanent jobs, providing valuable assets and generating tremendous economic activity,” said NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka.

“These winning projects improve our quality of life, revitalize neighborhoods, provide valuable services and resources and bring communities together. And it shows what can happen when we put business at the center.

“We are grateful for the benefits these projects have brought to New Jersey and congratulate the winners.”

The list below provides a brief description of each winning project.  Reporters or editors who would like images of any winning project can contact communications@njbia.org.

Full summaries, and the criteria for how winners were selected, can be found in the July 2025 issue of New Jersey Business Magazine.

Phelps Construction Group’s New HQ 

When Phelps Construction Group (PCG) decided to look for a bigger headquarters to accommodate its growing business, the company zeroed in on 255 West Main St. in Denville – once home to the flourishing Silbo Steel Corporation before a series of mismatched renovations and overgrown landscaping turned it into an eyesore.

PCG collaborated with ENV architects to transform the building into a vibrant structure with private flex offices, collaborative workspaces, meeting rooms and multipurpose rooms for lunch and leisure. The addition of a prefabricated metal warehouse brought the final footprint to 10,000 square feet.

The $3.4 million project, completed late last year, employed 317 construction workers and the addition of 28 full-time workers to PCG’s ranks. The project has received accolades from Denville officials and residents for revitalizing a historically underutilized property that now integrates seamlessly with the surrounding highways and neighborhood.

Architect:  ENV, Englewood Cliffs

Builder: Phelps Construction Group, Denville

NJ Hall of Fame Entertainment & Learning Center at American Dream 

Home to legendary inventors, entertainers and other great Americans, New Jersey has unveiled the NJ Hall of Fame Entertainment and Learning Center at American Dream in East Rutherford, a 10,000-square-foot space with state-of-the-art exhibits paying tribute to hometown heroes.

The nation’s first state-focused center of its kind includes a tour of NJ Hall of Fame inductees’ hometowns in a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, a karaoke sing-along next to lifelike holograms of Gloria Gaynor, Wyclef Jean, Frankie Valli, and other musical greats, and a simulated ride called “Fly Me to the Moon” – named after the hit song by Hoboken’s own Frank Sinatra – where visitors can experience the thrill of space travel.

The $20 million project employed 23 workers during construction and has led to 25 full-time positions at the center.

Architect: Gensler, Morristown

Builder: Kovic International Contractors, Mahwah

Crow Holdings at Carteret 

Crow Holdings at Carteret has transformed an environmental challenge into an economic success.

In 2021, Crow Holding Development purchased a 126-acre property near the mouth of the Rahway River – a long-dormant, former brownfield site that had been successfully remediated by Rahway Arch Properties and fully approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

By mid-2023, Crow Holdings at Carteret, a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse distribution property, had been completed, welcoming its first two tenants – Weida Freight System (WFS) and DSV Global Transport and Logistics – over the next year and signing a long-term commitment with 3PL YunExpress in March.

The $300 million project created 500 construction jobs. Upon full occupancy, its remaining 480,000 square feet will support approximately 350 full-time positions.

Architect: M+H Architects, St. Louis

Builder: Crow Holdings Development, Dallas

Veterans Park: Enjoying Outdoor Spaces 

Summer days at Veterans Park in Monroe Township have gotten even better. The property, which includes athletic fields, a playground, cricket patch, pavilion, and free spray park for children, was enhanced with a new restroom and storage facility to better serve citizens and events.

Located at 61 Avenue K, Veterans Park underwent an upgrade in the offseason to better accommodate the growth in Monroe Township’s population. Scozzari Builders also equipped the bathroom area with an administrative booth to accommodate events at the park.

The $1 million project measures 2,000 square feet and was designed by Michael V. Testa Architect. Before the building was erected, there were no public facilities or storage for residents to use while enjoying the park, which now also includes volleyball courts.

During construction, Scozzari Builders employed 25 workers, and the project added three full-time employees to the Veteran’s Park staff.

Architect: Michael V. Testa Architect, Manalapan

Builder: Scozzari Builders, Trenton

The Stable at Lord Stirling Park: Equine Excellence 

When the pandemic halted programming at the Stable at Lord Stirling Park in 2020, the Somerset County Park Commission used the time to assess whether the stable was providing adequate equine services. They found that the existing repurposed dairy barn was outdated and needed to be replaced to bring it into the 21st century.

With the help of USA Architects and Scozzari Builders, a new, fully accessible barn was unveiled – complete with 16 horse stalls, three tack rooms, onsite laundry, and feed rooms. The $2.5 million, 6,300-square-foot structure was manufactured in California, transported in pieces, and constructed on site.

The new barn will host Somerset County Park Commission horses, Rocking Horse Rehab and horse boarding, while addressing other community equine needs.

Scozzari employed 30 people during construction, and six full-time stable workers were relocated to the new barn.

Architect: USA Architects, Somerville

Builder: Scozzari Builders, Trenton

The Nell: A Boon to Dunellen 

Once the site of a bustling downtown, Dunellen suffered from mall and highway development that saw many businesses close. One of which, Art Color, left the area in 1968, taking with it the town’s largest employer.

Six decades later, the walkable downtown is thriving again, thanks to projects like The Nell, a $54 million mixed-use redevelopment of the Art Color site.

Designed by Spiezle Architectural Group, it includes a 252-apartment multifamily component as well as 130 townhouses developed by K. Hovnanian Homes. The property is bolstering the community with the creation of two dozen full-time positions, not including the 250 construction workers employed during the build.

In addition, a 9,300-square-foot, retail building on South Washington Avenue is up and running. According to the Spiezle team, creating this retail “front door” at The Nell was a key design element in extending Dunellen’s downtown neighborhood to the site for a cohesive feel.

Architect: Spiezle Architectural Group, Hamilton

Builder: Prism Capital Partners, Nutley

Saint Peter’s Family Health Center: Healthy Outcomes 

Saint Peter’s University Hospital, whose mission is to reduce health inequities in the greater Middlesex region, has made another move to help the community’s most at-risk residents. Last March, the hospital completed a $12 million, 32,000-square-foot upgrade to Saint Peter’s Family Health Center that has doubled the number of clinical exam rooms, added an on-site laboratory, and expanded the physical therapy area.

The project also includes the new Market at Saint Peter’s, which is increasing access to produce, non-perishable goods, baby care items, and hygiene products at no cost to patients.

Led by McGuire Group Architects and builder Epic Management, the project employed 91 workers during construction, and the hospital has since added 118 full-time jobs. Saint Peter’s Family Health Center has also since provided more than 2,100 meals to patients, conducted financial wellness education, and hosted events to provide patients with school supplies and career resources.

Architect: McGuire Group Architects, Melville, N.Y.

Builder: Epic Management, Piscataway

CenterPoint at Linden: A Win for the Community 

In 2019, real estate developer CenterPoint decided on a 20-acre site near the Port of Newark-Elizabeth for its proposed industrial facility. It would be a significant upgrade for the community over the existing “Linden Marketplace,” which had struggled to attract tenants since its anchor building was vacated by Walmart.

Over the next 18 months, CenterPoint worked closely with the previous landowner and the City of Linden to relocate the remaining retail tenants and develop a plan for CenterPoint at Linden, a 321,765-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility completed in the fall of 2023 and preleased to CODA Logistics and Distribution.

Under the leadership of architect KSS and builder RC Anderson LLC, the self-funded, multi-million-dollar project integrated sustainability features like a future solar array and the necessary infrastructure to incorporate EV-charging facilities throughout the car parking areas. KSS also enhanced the building’s visibility from Route 12 by incorporating a unique double-height office space along the prominent corner of the building.

Architect: KSS Architects, Princeton

Builder: RC Anderson LLC, Fairfield

Bleakley Financial Group: Fostering Innovation 

Bleakley Financial Group’s new U.S. headquarters in Parsippany could be called the perfect modern office space.

Developed specifically for this multi-billion-dollar financial planning and advisory firm by Kimmerle Group (KG) architects and built by DiSousa Contracting Consulting, the 26,000-square-foot location at 300 Kimball Drive includes not only breakout areas for creative meetings and private spaces for focused work, but high-tech meeting rooms equipped for virtual collaboration at a time when many people work remotely.

Bleakley Financial, which has a total of 16 locations across 12 states, wanted the new base of operations to enhance its business culture and brand image by providing an inviting atmosphere for clients/visitors while fostering innovation and teamwork.

The $1.8 million space with tons of sustainability features, which opened just before Christmas, is a combination of open plan and upscale client meeting areas built to fit the financial advisory firm’s needs.

Architect: Kimmerle Group, Morristown

Builder: DiSousa Contracting Consulting, Boonton

Black Swallowtail Studios: Achieving Media Dreams 

Eatontown native Erik Massimino started a media company in his hometown in 2020, powering through pandemic-related supply chain issues to create a one-of-a-kind community resource for artists, local governments, schools, and business professionals to “achieve their media dreams.”

Called Black Swallowtail Studios, this full-service production facility for commercial video, podcasting, photography and live streaming caught on so well that Massimino decided to add a second state-of-the-art control room last year.

The $150,000 investment, which was completed in October, doubled operational capacity, allowing Black Swallowtail Studios to support multiple productions simultaneously.

The 3,000-square-foot project, which was self-designed, self-financed, and built by Huntley Renovation LLC, has created eight construction jobs while leading to two full-time and several part-time/freelance employment opportunities in technical products, editing, teaching, and administration. The studio has attracted clients from across the tri-state area and is helping train the next generation of creative professionals.

Architect: Erik Massimino, Eatontown

Builder: Huntley Renovation LLC, Eatontown