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The Hampshire Companies Unveil CENTRA, New Jersey’s Most Anticipated Office Park in Woodbridge, N.J. at Grand Opening Event

New State-of-the-Art LEED Gold Certified Office Building is Unlike Any Other in the State
Woodbridge, N.J.

The Hampshire Companies, a full-service, private real estate investment firm with equity in assets valued at over $2 billion, held a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony at CENTRA, New Jersey’s newest and most anticipated business park, located at 186 Wood Avenue South in Woodbridge, N.J. on May 5, 2011. In attendance were Mayor John McCormac, more than 100 of New Jersey’s leading industry brokers and executives from Hampshire.

“When we looked at Class-A office space in the state most of it was built in the 1980s or 1990s. We saw a unique opportunity to create one of New Jersey’s premier 21st Century office buildings and create a building unlike anything in the marketplace,” said James E. Hanson, President & CEO of The Hampshire Companies.

The Hampshire Companies acquired the former Siemens building in May 2009 and broke ground in February 2010 completely transforming and redeveloping the site by taking the existing building down to the steel, rebuilding it and expanding it by approximately 10,000 square feet. The new structure consisting of 110,000 square feet is a Class A state-of-the-art office building with floor to ceiling glass, sunken gardens, and a full amenity package including a fitness center, conference center and cafe.

Mayor McCormac spoke of Hampshire’s amazing transformation of the building commenting, “It was a total remake.” He also expressed his gratitude to The Hampshire Companies for their continued support and for investing in the township showing that the Woodbridge was in fact a strong real estate market.

Situated on more than 19 acres, CENTRA is ideally located within the heart of Metropark, offering close proximity to New Jersey Transit, The Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike, I-287 and Routes 1 and 27 and Newark International Airport. The state-of-the-art LEED Gold certified office building is ideal for global and local headquarter operations for a variety of industries.

“When the development of commercial space primarily halted across the state, Hampshire had the unique vision to act on this opportunity and deliver a 21st Century office environment in what is one of the most sought after office locations in the state,” said Todd Anderson, a Principal of The Hampshire Companies. “We have seen a wide variety of interest from companies looking to secure premier, headquarters quality space in a highly accessible location. We are grateful to Mayor McCormac and to the town of Woodbridge for its support of this project and we remain committed to providing tenants with premier, environmentally-friendly office space.”

Hampshire enlisted renowned architect Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC (KPF) to re-design the building. According to KPF Director and Senior Designer, Hugh Trumbull, “This gateway building sets the stage for a new corporate campus. It is also our attempt at finding a new paradigm for the suburban office experience – one which blends urbanism with the living landscape.”

Tishman Construction served as the general contractor for the project. David Simson and Jamie Drummond of Newmark Knight Frank are the exclusive leasing agents for the property.

More information on CENTRA can be found online at www.centrametropark.com. Additional information on The Hampshire Companies can be found online at HampshireRE.com.

About The Hampshire Companies
The Hampshire Companies is a full-service, private real estate investment firm based in Morristown, N.J. The Hampshire Companies is a vibrant, dynamic organization that combines creative vision and superior execution, thereby enabling it to create and enhance value in real estate investments. Additional information on The Hampshire Companies is available online at HampshireRE.com.

Contact
Leann Moczydlowski
R&J Public Relations
908-722-5757
LMoczydlowski@randjpr.com