HARRISON —
On a beautiful Tuesday morning in September, Ironstate Development and the Pegasus Group cut a ribbon for a grand opening of Harrison Urby, a 409-unit rental complex that combines modern architecture and landscape design with an active events calendar.
On hand for the ceremony were numerous dignitaries, including Mayor James Fife, most members of the Harrison Town Council, Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, Hudson County Freeholder and Harrison attorney Albert Cifelli and others.
Situated two blocks from the Harrison PATH station, Harrison Urby is just a 20-minute train ride from Lower Manhattan. It’s is the third Urby development to be completed in the New York City metropolitan area, following Staten Island Urby and Jersey City Urby.
“We are thrilled to open a third Urby location in one of Hudson County’s fastest growing areas,” said David Barry, CEO of Urby and president of Ironstate Development, which is developing over 2,200 residential units, a hotel and 80,000 square feet of shops and restaurant space in Harrison. “Harrison Urby illustrates the Urby brand’s commitment to creating efficient apartments located near mass transit.”
Joy among elected officials
At the special ceremony, Fife took time to reflect on the latest of many redevelopment projects flooding Harrison.
“I’m delighted to be here today celebrating the opening of another exceptional residential building from Ironstate Development Company and The Pegasus Group,” Fife said. “They are visionary developers who have helped re-energize our town. We’re fortunate to have such experienced and committed partners helping us shape the future of the Town of Harrison.”
Fife joked that one can no longer see the river from Urby — because of the adjacent hotel.
“The only thing I’m disappointed about is not being able to see the river anymore — I was promised being able to see the river,” Fife joked.
Meanwhile, Ele Villalta, the Second Ward councilwoman who represents the new development, said she was thrilled with the new development.
“This is wonderful,” Villalta said. “It’s absolutely beautiful here and it’s an honor to represent the residents.”
Third Ward Councilman Larry Bennett agreed.
“People really want this kind of place to live,” Bennett said. “But more than just that — Harrison is becoming a place known for more than just soccer. It’s becoming a destination.”
For Fourth Ward Councilman Michael Dolaghan, Urby is the culmination of decades of hard work that began in the early ‘90s under the leadership of the late Mayor Raymond McDonough and the late Councilman Peter Higgins.
“I’ve been around since the beginning,” Dolaghan, the former Town Council president, said. “It’s been incredible to see this becoming a neighborhood as places continue to be built out. I’m very proud of what’s going on here.”
What are the units like?
Designed inside and out by the Amsterdam-based architecture and interiors firm Concrete, Harrison Urby is comprised of a four-story building set around landscaped green spaces. The building offers thoughtfully designed residences that make smart use of space, available in studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom layouts.
Each apartment features large windows to maximize natural light, built-in closets with drawers for storage, a full washer/dryer, sustainable bamboo flooring and dimmable LED lights.
Rents range from $1,800 for a studio to $3,200 for a two-bedroom apartment.
Common areas
Collective spaces are important elements at Urby and are designed to create natural opportunities for residents to meet and interact. In Harrison, the two-story Coperaco Café, located in the lobby, features a 30-foot tree house library and a Steinway baby grand piano for performances. The nearby Urby Blues is an onsite recording studio that serves as a practice space for Urby’s jazz musician-in-residence, Davell Crawford.
Residents will also have access to a two-story fitness center with cardio and weight equipment, a yoga room and regularly scheduled fitness classes.
The Urby Kitchen is a stunning communal chef’s kitchen used to host culinary classes, wine tastings and events from local business owners, including pop-up dinners, a salon series and workshops for residents.
Outside, the courtyard is home to a heated saltwater swimming pool and patio, as well as fire pits and a great lawn, complete with gardens, paths and lawn games including bocce ball and table tennis.
The complex also features car parking, bicycle storage and is quite pet friendly, featuring a Woofgarden (park) for dogs.
Harrison Urby is located at 777 South Third St.
More information may be found at www.urby.com and @UrbyLife on Instagram and Facebook.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.