New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) has signed a 25-year lease to establish a new headquarters in Two Gateway Center, with a direct pedestrian connection to Newark Penn Station — the state’s busiest intermodal transit hub — following a competitive procurement process, the unanimous approval of its Board of Directors and authorization to proceed by the Office of the State Comptroller.
“NJ Transit’s new headquarters will provide a more efficient and collaborative workspace for NJ Transit employees who design, build and operate our transit system,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti.
The current headquarters at Penn Plaza East is more than 30 years old, and according to NJ Transit, would require approximately $120 million in repairs and renovations over the next six years, including complete overhauls and replacements to elevators and the HVAC and other systems. The repairs and reconstruction would take several years and require temporarily relocating employees, significantly disrupting the work environment, productivity and the efficient management of the transit system.
NJ Transit’s 25-year Two Gateway lease includes approximately 407,000 square feet of space in open floor plates, which will be built to suit. Two Gateway has been newly renovated, and the lease allows the potential to expand or contract NJ Transit’s footprint as needed.
Two Gateway Center provides direct access to Newark Penn Station via the Gateway Center’s pedestrian bridge, as well as Gateway’s new street level entrance just across from the station’s historic waiting room. The Murphy Administration has committed more than $190 million to renovating and restoring Newark Penn Station to serve as a grand entryway to New Jersey.
“NJ Transit has always been committed to keeping our presence in Newark, the city which has been our home since our creation more than 40 years ago,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “NJ Transit has now negotiated a lease agreement that provides the best value for New Jersey’s taxpayers, for our customers and our employees. This new headquarters provides the modern office environment required to properly run the nation’s largest statewide transit system.”
Onyx Equities, the owner of Two Gateway, has agreed to provide $130 per square foot toward design and construction, currently valued at approximately $53 million, specifically to meet NJ Transit’s needs and create a modern work environment, customized to maximize productivity and efficiency. The new, up to date workspace also will help NJ Transit attract and retain professional staff and will allow consolidation of administrative employees from other locations throughout the state.
NJ Transit expects to occupy the new, Two Gateway Center headquarters by the end of 2024. The disposition of the current Penn Plaza facility is still to be determined.
