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Megan Apostol

Prospect Park Becomes First New Jersey Municipality to Adopt Community Energy Plan
Prospect Park Becomes First New Jersey Municipality to Adopt Community Energy Plan 789 444 DMR Architects

Prospect Park in Passaic County has become the first municipality to adopt a Community Energy Plan under the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and Sustainable Jersey Clean Energy Grant Program, an effort to align with The State’s Energy Master Plan, the roadmap to reaching Governor Murphy’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050.

The borough used its $25,000 grant to retain DMR to prepare the plan, which identifies more than two dozen initiatives that Prospect Park will implement within a five-year period, including:

  • Installing renewable energy sources, energy storage, and public EV charging stations on municipal properties, and improving energy efficiency of municipal buildings;
  • Creating opportunities for community solar programs that allow the public to purchase solar energy from off-site sources, with an emphasis on availability and affordability for low- and moderate-income households;
  • Outreach campaigns to increase resident and business participation in incentive programs offered by the state, federal government and utilities like PSE&G to transition to electric vehicles, make energy efficient improvements and install solar and other forms of renewable energy;
  • Replace older borough fleet vehicles with newer, preferably electric alternatives, and adopt fuel efficient fleet vehicle management practices;
  • Make energy planning inclusive of low- and moderate-income and non-English speaking households;
  • Adopt zoning and regulatory language that permits renewable energy production and energy storage.

“We applaud Mayor Khairullah and the Prospect Park council for recognizing the role that reducing carbon-based energy sources plays in the overall health and wellbeing of everyone who lives and works in Prospect Park,” said Tracey Woods, Energy Program Manager for Sustainable Jersey. “Their commitment to change shows that any municipality can address climate change in a meaningful way.”

“This is the next step for us toward making more clean energy sources available and reducing GHG emissions,” said Mayor Mohamed T. Khairullah.  “We had a public reading of the plan earlier this month and there was overwhelming support from our residents and businesses.”

“There are state-level grants, tax credits from the Federal Inflation Reduction Act, and incentives through utility companies available right now making it the ideal time for municipalities to create Community Energy Plans,” said Daniel Hauben, PP, AICP, LEED Green Associate, Senior Project Planner for DMR. “As planners committed to building healthier and more affordable communities, our team at DMR is equipped to guide our municipal clients through the resources that are available to them now.”

In June 2022 NJBPU approved $820,000 in grants to 46 municipalities to create Community Energy Plans to combat climate change.  Prospect Park was one of only 24 designated as overburdened and eligible for $25,000.

DMR’s Five-Year Project Total for Essential Upgrades to New Jersey Public Schools Exceeds 100 Projects and $85 Million
DMR’s Five-Year Project Total for Essential Upgrades to New Jersey Public Schools Exceeds 100 Projects and $85 Million 789 444 DMR Architects

While known for creating many cutting edge preK-12 education spaces, including some of the most advanced in the country, DMR is also responsible for nearly 125 projects categorized as essential building upgrades, health and safety concerns, needs for special populations and other facility maintenance needs over the past five years.

“Long before administrators can even think about adding spaces for biomedical chemistry labs or STEM spaces, they need to invest in ongoing maintenance and upgrades to utilities, security and other systems,” said Janet Pini, AIA. “DMR’s team provides diverse expertise backgrounds that allows us to help clients end to end on project components including securing funding, choosing the most cost-effective solutions and materials, and sequencing work to impose the least amount of disruption to the school year.”

DMR’s work valued at $85 million of essential upgrades includes:

  • 37 Building Skins (Masonry, Facade, Windows, Roofs)
  • 28 Building Systems Upgrades
  • 15 Classrooms/Capacity Generation
  • 13 Interior or Outdoor Physical Education Fields, Locker Rooms or Fitness Spaces
  • 10 Auditoriums
  • Seven Security Upgrades

DMR is also managing 53 projects for the New York City School Construction Authority (NYCSCA) at preK-12 facilities throughout the city.

Creative Land Arrangements Power Long-Awaited New Construction Projects
Creative Land Arrangements Power Long-Awaited New Construction Projects 960 540 DMR Architects

This post originally appeared in the February issue of Meadowlands Magazine. 

by Charles H. Sarlo, Esq., General Counsel, Partner

Some of the best untapped development opportunities may be held by municipalities whose well-located but outdated schools and administrative buildings can be relocated, unlocking value that can be then used to finance new facilities elsewhere.

DMR has had an up-close view of municipal innovation in two recent situations that solved the problem of locating and financing much-needed reinvention of public buildings without undue pressure on the tax base. In New Brunswick, an antiquated elementary school became the site of a new cancer center for RWJBarnabas Medical Center and Rutgers Cancer Institute, with a new school developed on another city-owned site featuring modern educational resources and functionality that the old building could never accommodate.

In addition to addressing rapidly evolving educational needs, the New Brunswick program had at its heart two dynamics that are dominating the current real estate landscape: the boom in healthcare-oriented development that pushed RWJBarnabas Health, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, to create a new facility for cancer treatment; and the massive pressure to repurpose and scale-up sites in the face of downtown redevelopment.

In Ridgefield leadership declared its former Borough Hall site on Broad Avenue as an area in need of redevelopment to facilitate a sale, and constructed a brand-new municipal complex on property it already owned that offered superior access and parking. Here the requirement was for municipal services and public safety rather than education, but the driving economic concepts were the same, albeit on a smaller scale in terms of the project itself and the community in which it sits.

Each site represented interesting challenges, and each found their solution in an unusual place: Ridgefield was a perfect match for alternatives to the traditional municipal bidding process, resulting in it contracting for a fixed-price that greatly reduced its risk. And New Brunswick had DEVCO, the City’s vaunted redevelopment resource, at its disposal for both financial and planning solutions.

While residents can sometimes have sentimental feelings about municipal buildings, in both these cases when my colleagues at DMR dug just below the surface, we found that their occupants were eager to trade into something more modern and that there would be no meaningful resistance to moving from within. That tells an important story: that pragmatism about getting the job done overcomes sentimentality among the user-constituents, and once the fiscal and productivity story is told, civil servants and residents alike quickly get on board with making a change.
As schools, police stations, city halls, parking facilities, public works depots and municipal garages age out of their relevance, and as renovation costs continue to be nearly as high as constructing new facilities, we expect to see more of our municipal clients not only updating their facilities, but also turning into the next generation of insightful real estate developers.

Recent Work Shows Healthcare Industry Is a Bright Spot in Economy Facing Potential Downturn
Recent Work Shows Healthcare Industry Is a Bright Spot in Economy Facing Potential Downturn 789 444 DMR Architects

DMR is currently working on five new, upgraded or repurposed healthcare spaces, a bright spot in real estate development during an uncertain economic time. The projects consist of addressing equipment upgrades, operational needs, and a focus shift to a higher degree of attention to the patient experience with four of New Jersey’s largest healthcare systems.

“Our healthcare clients are actively working to shift patient perceptions of their spaces from clinical, scary places that are almost seen as transactional to calming, welcoming, and experiential self-care activities,” said Pradeep Kapoor, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Chief Operating Officer and Partner.  “Healthcare facilities are like any other business, creating a welcoming and personalized environment will ensure repeat visits for everything from preventative to specialty care.”

Projects currently on the boards include:

  • A relocation of the cardiology department at St. Peter’s University Hospital to accommodate for new equipment.
  • A redesign of the Department of Surgery, also at St. Peter’s University Hospital, to accommodate growth/increased in-office services with nine exam rooms, three consultant rooms, and four stations of documentation and staff office/registration.
  • The expansion of the Heart and Vascular Center at Hunterdon Healthcare‘s Bridgewater location by repurposing three exam rooms in an adjacent suite.
  • A relocation of Valley Hospital‘s Primary Urgent Care Center facility in Dumont so that it can continue to meet patients’ needs in a modernized space.
  • A finish upgrade to the lobby of Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, part of the Hackensack Meridian Health system, to provide a warm and welcoming environment.

Why We Stay
Why We Stay 2438 1563 DMR Architects

This post originally appeared as part of a two-part series with Real Estate New Jersey. See the full article here. See part 1, “You Build Trust by Trusting People,” which outlines DMR’s culture of empowerment, here. In this article, RENJ sat down with several DMR staff members to understand their experiences growing their careers at DMR. 

Pradeep Kapoor, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Chief Operating Officer, Partner (21 years)

Pradeep Kapoor was a junior architect in 2003 when the sustainable design movement was taking hold. He recalls that Lloyd Rosenberg, DMR Architects’ president and CEO, saw the trend as a potential game-changer and asked his team if someone was interested in helping to build a practice in the emerging growth area.

Kapoor stepped forward, studied and soon became certified in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. By 2005, DMR had secured its first assignment in the field, the Carlstadt Elementary School, which in 2007 became New Jersey’s first LEED-certified public school.

“We not only give people opportunity. We ask people to bring opportunities that they would like to explore,” Kapoor said, adding: “That was something I learned from Lloyd because, when I wanted to pursue LEED and other avenues of architecture, he always encouraged me.”

Kevin Johnson, Project Manager (10 years)

Job jumping may be a common practice among young professionals, but not for Kevin Johnson, who joined DMR in 2012 and has never looked back.

Here’s one major reason: He has the tools he needs to do his job.

“I’ve always felt supported with technology,” said Johnson, a project manager. “That’s been a huge issue with some people I know — they don’t get the support they need, the computers are too slow, they don’t have the programs they need.

“So not only did I start with a good system in place, but any time I’ve had a concern about something, I’ve brought it up and it’s been looked into.”

Janet Pini, AIA, Sr. Project Manager/Associate (20 years)

Janet Pini has only ever known DMR Architects, the company she has called home since she graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2002. The firm “afforded me the opportunity to learn right as I got started,” she recalls, noting that she quickly worked on different aspects of the profession — from design and production to construction administration — along with different industries and asset classes.

“That’s been a theme through my whole career here, and I think one of the reasons why I’ve stayed is I’m not doing the same thing every day,” she said. “I’m working on municipal projects and school projects, which really has become my focus here, but I still do get housing projects, health care projects. So there’s that variety.”

Pini now spearheads a mentoring program for the firm’s junior-level talent, hoping to engender the kind of creative freedom and hands-on, supportive learning environment that have kept her at DMR for two decades.

Kurt Vierheilig, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Design, Partner (23 years)

Collaboration is key, but it’s not the only ingredient for thriving in a group setting. It also comes down to being able to understand the creative choices, opinions and suggestions of others — even if they don’t always align — and ultimately find a solution.

“I always felt that the people that worked here were really working in sync,” said Kurt Vierheilig, who was named a partner in 2017. “Everyone respected everyone else. Even if you don’t agree, you understand why you don’t agree, but there’s a goal that you’re trying to reach toward.

“I think if people understand why you might have a difference of opinion, that also helps them develop, but it also helps to keep things going in the right direction, in a respectful way as co-workers. And I’ve always felt that, no matter where you were, no matter what level you’re at, there’s always a good collaborative process. Because buildings are complicated — there’s so many different ways you can do it, different approaches you can take and a lot that goes into it.”

Fassil Zewdou, Sr. Project Manager, Associate  (21 years)

Fassil Zewdou is candid when he notes that “I really don’t like to move around.” But even he is amazed to have spent more than two decades with DMR Architects.

Why has he stayed? There’s the ability to learn, the attention from senior leaders and the strong business fundamentals that help the firm endure even in leaner times. But he also points to something that can’t be so easily quantified — company culture.

“You can define value in terms of what the company stands for — if it is employee-centered as opposed to just financials,” said Zewdou, who focuses primarily on education projects in New York City. “You can’t quantify that distinction — you just know it.”

You Build Trust by Trusting People
You Build Trust by Trusting People 789 444 DMR Architects

This post originally appeared as part of a two-part series with Real Estate New Jersey. See the full article here. See part 2, “Why We Stay” here.

That philosophy has allowed DMR Architects to become a top architecture, interior design and professional planning firm, with a practice that is among the industry’s most diverse and a team large enough to accomplish projects of any size.

Rosenberg has been building that team for more than 30 years, with a focus on mentorship, flexibility and the freedom to explore new areas and new technology.

We asked Rosenberg to share his thoughts on hiring and developing talent, as well as the ongoing role that DMR’s team plays in the commercial real estate industry.

You’ve built such a diverse practice. Does that happen organically or by design?

It’s probably both, but I certainly have always encouraged our staff to be independent and creative, provided it is within the scope of our project. By managing, monitoring and guiding them they are able to grow and we achieve the best outcome for everyone. And if they have a passion to do something, that’s great, because we empower them to push themselves to learn and develop personally and professionally.

At the same time, I’ve hired talented people that didn’t always fit the position we were trying to fill. So I step back and say to myself, ‘Well, are they talented? Could they do something else? Could they add value? Could they add another dimension to the firm?’ This approach has had such a positive impact on DMR.

What are you most proud of as you’ve assembled this team and created this business over three decades?

It’s several things: First, we have developed a brand and a name. That was one of my goals: I wanted anyone who introduces themselves as an employee of DMR to be immediately respected and thought of as someone who has real expertise.

I also invited in additional owners, each with their own talents and abilities, and mentored them. Today, my presence is less important. I’m not going to every meeting anymore, but I’m still here. The fact is, they are successful on their own, which is what I wanted

But I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve been able to develop people who have produced countless meaningful and important projects. We’ve developed so many special places that years later we continue to hear from people who are enjoying our work. I often hear from people who don’t know me, or who wasn’t there when I designed that building 25 years ago, say, ‘What a wonderful facility this is.’

Design of Montgomery Municipal Center, Fueled by Robust Community Input, Reflects Township’s History and Identity
Design of Montgomery Municipal Center, Fueled by Robust Community Input, Reflects Township’s History and Identity 789 444 DMR Architects

DMR Architects conceived the design for the new Montgomery Municipal Center to reflect the township’s identity as a close-knit suburban community with deep agricultural roots while providing a state-of-the-art facility that will serve the future needs of the community and administration.

The 62,000 SF building opened last summer delivering offices for Montgomery Township’s police headquarters and administration, a new branch of the Somerset County Library System, and the council chambers arranged around a central common public lobby.

It is unique in not only its design, hearkening back to old barns and farm structures, but also in its purposes and function, with connected spaces for municipal, library and community programs under one roof. The project was borne from a collaborative approach that included input from municipal and county voices, as well as more than 200 residents.

“The new municipal center has been planned to serve as a community gathering place, something that the township has long sought,” said Montgomery Mayor Devra Keenan.  “This is not just a building to us; it is a representation of Montgomery’s collaborative spirit and pride of place.”

The design takes cues from agrarian architecture with contemporary material choices, seen through the gable roof, stone exterior, metal roofing, wood siding, heavy timber canopies and abundance of glass. The result reflected the collective pride of Montgomery’s elected officials and residents so effectively that the building design was incorporated into an updated municipal seal.

“There is a distinct shift in attitudes away from building utilitarian municipal facilities that are seen as a place people ‘have to go to’. Trends are moving toward providing residents with a location that is more welcoming and engaging to the community,” said Kurt Vierheilig, Director of Design and Partner. “It’s important to a project’s success to work in unison with residents, county and municipal leaders. The spirit of collaboration was strong at all levels and the final product is something we are all proud of and that will be used for many generations.”

Borough of Ridgefield Celebrates Opening of DMR-Designed New Municipal Complex
Borough of Ridgefield Celebrates Opening of DMR-Designed New Municipal Complex 789 444 DMR Architects

On Nov. 6, DMR joined Mayor Anthony Suarez, the Ridgefield Borough Council, local dignitaries and residents for a ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration, including entertainment, refreshments and tours of the new 27,000 SF municipal building.

State, county, and municipal leaders in attendance included Senator Paul A. Sarlo, Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco and Commissioners Mary Amoroso, Ramon Hache, Germaine Ortiz, Thomas Sullivan, and Tracy Zur, among many others.

The DMR-designed facility is a welcoming gathering place, in addition to functioning as the new home for the borough’s administrative offices, municipal/court chamber, and the police and building departments.

“We’re excited to replace the old building which was plagued by inefficiencies with this new complex.  It’s modern, safe and ADA-compliant, and will be the location for many more community activities like today’s celebration,” said Mayor Anthony Suarez.  “DMR has delivered a new asset to our community that will help grow our downtown district.”

“We took a comprehensive approach to determining the best location, design, and materials for the Borough’s new municipal complex to ensure that the final work product fulfilled the functional needs in a way which was welcoming to community members,” said Charles H. Sarlo, Esq., Partner and General Counsel.  “In addition, we developed an innovative delivery method to ensure that the Borough would be the recipient of the best value and quality.”

“As municipalities have outgrown the size and technical capabilities of their facilities, which were built in the 50’s and 60’s, there is the opportunity for municipalities to use the development of new municipal complexes as points of pride and centers for community interaction rather than just a unitarian facility.”

The new complex is across from the Ridgefield Nature Center and adjacent to the Ridgefield Community Center. It was designed to symbiotically coexist with its natural surroundings, incorporating the land’s topographic gradation and maintaining the nearby Wolf Creek tree buffer.

The complex was constructed with energy efficient materials and technologies and includes a new streetscape and a pocket gathering spot at the corner of Shaler Blvd. and Slocum Ave.

Pictured above: Charles H. Sarlo, Esq., General Counsel, Partner for DMR Architects; Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese; Senator Paul A, Sarlo; Commissioner Thomas
Sullivan; Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco; Commissioner Tracy Zur; Commissioner Germaine Ortiz;  Commissioner Ramon Hache. Front Row: Councilman Craig Dorsett; Councilman James Kontolios; Council President Russell Castelli; (hidden Fire Chief John Hoffman); Councilman Hugo Jimenez; Police Chief Thomas Gallagher; Councilwoman Lauren Larkin; Mayor Anthony Suarez; Commissioner Mary Amoroso.

Hillsdale Municipal Plan Reflects Collaboration Between Residents and Elected Officials
Hillsdale Municipal Plan Reflects Collaboration Between Residents and Elected Officials 789 444 DMR Architects

The Hillsdale council recently approved the Patterson Street Redevelopment Plan for the former Waste Management site following over two years of collaboration between the public officials and residents of the community.

The redevelopment plan for the almost 12 acres known as the Patterson Street Redevelopment Plan was written in consultation with DMR Architects and includes a requirement for the developer to provide approximately 5,000 square feet of community space within the project.  The redevelopment plan allows for residential rentals to represent a significant portion of the overall area with 255 residential units of which 20 will be affordable housing.  It also requires a new public park located at the corner of Patterson Street and Piermont Avenue.

“These facilities will provide meaningful gathering spaces for meetings, sports, and recreation, improving everyone’s quality of life as well as increasing their property values,” said Janetta Trochimiuk, Council President. “The redevelopment zone was established in 2019 and encompasses 12 acres of underutilized industrial land at Knickerbocker Ave., Brookside Place, Piermont Ave. and Prospect Place.”

“Resident engagement is a critical component to municipal planning. It provides insights on what the community needs are and how redevelopment of underutilized properties can solve affordable housing requisites and also provide alternative market rate housing,” said Francis Reiner, PP, LLA, Director of Planning and Redevelopment for DMR Architects.  “We are working with municipal leaders throughout New Jersey to create customized protocols for requesting and collecting feedback and refashioning plans that make everyone feel heard.”

A partnership between Claremont Development and March Development of Morristown has been chosen as the developer of the site.

Introducing DMR NY
Introducing DMR NY 789 444 DMR Architects

With more than 50 projects in New York City in its current pipeline, DMR Architects has opened DMR NY Architects (DMR NY) to accommodate its growing business practice in The Empire State.  Pradeep Kapoor will lead the DMR NY team.

DMR Architects’ dynamic growth outside of New Jersey has been bolstered by its architectural consulting services provided to the New York City School Construction Authority’s (NYCSCA) Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) across New York City.  Since 2006 it has been addressing projects of varying scale in technical complexity and cost magnitude for more than 350 projects with a construction value of more than $1 billion.

“Historically, we have expanded our practice areas in anticipation of need,” said Lloyd Rosenberg, AIA, President and CEO for DMR Architects.  “The development environment throughout the Tri-State area is very strong and warrants DMR taking its commitment to creative vision, persistent energy and dynamic ideas that our New Jersey practice areas have been providing for more than 30 years into new markets.”

DMR NY will build on DMR Architects’ portfolio of efficient designs that honor the identity and history of New York’s infrastructure, including a $19 million restoration to JHS 162 in Brooklyn, built in 1909; extensive interior and exterior upgrades to the art deco-inspired PS 269 in Brooklyn and extensive interior and exterior upgrades to the 110,000 SF PS 81M in Manhattan.

“DMR NY will add a new dynamic to the marketplace by offering New York’s lower peninsula clients the same end-to-end in-house capabilities that we have been providing in New Jersey and New York City,” said Pradeep Kapoor, COO and partner at DMR Architects and President at DMR NY.  “I am honored and excited to lead our team into new geographic and artistic territory.”

In addition to Mr. Kapoor, DMR Partners Lloyd Rosenberg and Kurt Vierheilig will round out the DMR NY leadership team.

For more information about DMR NY visit www.dmr-ny.com.

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