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Developer Chooses Precast Concrete to Add Aesthetics, Durability to Riverfront Construction
Hartz Mountain Industries Inc., the company known for its pet products and its extensive real estate holdings, turned to Coreslab Construction of Thomaston, Connecticut to create a distinctive precast concrete exterior for a pair of important new office buildings. The structures, at 90 and 70 Hudson Street, are part of a revitalization effort that’s transforming the Jersey City, New Jersey riverfront into an extension of the Manhattan financial district just across the river. The 14-story building at 90 Hudson is complete — its twin is currently under construction and a third project is in the budgetary stages, according to John Comer, Hartz Mountain vice president for building construction.
"Jersey City has become a very hot market for office development as well as some apartment buildings," he explains. Access to the area is provided by water ferry between the riverfront and Manhattan. Train service is available as well, from both New York and New Jersey.
Adds Comer: "Precast gave us the durability and aesthetics we were looking for. We could replicate the look of the older buildings in the area, creating classical lines with relief in the panels."
The area is characterized by federal style buildings with arched windows and other features that mimic turn-of-the-century architecture. The top and bottom portions of the new building use white cement and an acid edge finish to create the look of limestone. In the mid-section, gray granites and cement are heavily sandblasted to simulate granite. The distinctive exterior is enhanced by the building’s breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline.
"We found Coreslab to be extremely responsive. They helped us a great deal in the design and selection of materials. And erection was even quicker than we had anticipated," said Comer. Coreslab produced 820 precast architectural panels, totaling 240,000 square feet, for the project.
Coreslab Construction is a member of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute of New England (PCI), the northeast regional arm of the national Precast/ Prestressed Concrete Institute. Coreslab Construction serves clients in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
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