Location: Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Developer: Mill Creek Residential
Designers: Minno & Wasko Architects, Cube 3, Melillo & Bauer
Site Size: 1.4 Acre

Modera Lofts is the complete redevelopment of the former Butler Brothers warehouse, re-imagined as a community of modern industrial loft residences in the heart of Jersey City’s burgeoning Powerhouse Arts District. In addition to a mix of 366 luxury studio, one-, two- and three bedroom rental residences, the building’s ground floor hosts 14 artist studios, as well as an adjoined 3,500-square-foot public art gallery that serves the local artist community. Modera Lofts offers spacious, light-filled interiors with outstanding amenities and services. Indoors, residents enjoy nearly 2,000 square feet of amenities, including a residents’ club-room, which is complete with a pool table, custom shuffleboards and multiple flat screen televisions; a state-of-the-art fitness center with a fit-and-flex room and yoga studio; a spin room with stadium seating and a fully equipped bicycle repair lounge. Outdoor amenities include a hotel-style rooftop deck, penthouse lounge, dog run, outdoor kitchen, fireplace and gaming tables.

Modera Lofts (Photo by: Luiz C. Ribeiro Photography)

Modera Lofts (Photo by: Luiz C. Ribeiro Photography)

Originally constructed in 1905, the 500,000 square foot building is the last “post-and-beam” facility of its kind in the Tristate Area. When Mill Creek purchased the building in 2014, engineering reports called out that it was in danger of collapse. Mill Creek choose to take the difficult path of rehabbing the building, while other developers in the area built ground up glass towers. The building’s infrastructure was carefully restored including repointing the façade, replacing the roof and enlarging more than 1,200 windows, and hand sanding thousands of timber columns and beams. It was thoughtfully redesigned to feature restored elevator gears, custom furniture created from re-purposed materials, and memorabilia from the original Butler Brothers warehouse. Political figures and local community advocates including Jersey City’s Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association (PADNA) were huge proponents of the project as Mill Creek set out to preserve both the building’s aesthetic and local historic designation to create a one-of-a-kind, industrial-chic residential community.

Less than a year after opening, Modera Lofts is 97-percent leased, which not only reflects its rare position as a major project with historical significance, but also as one of the most successful adaptive reuse developments on New Jersey’s Gold Coast.

Publications: The ULI Global Awards for Excellence 2017 Winners and Finalists