The Riddle Company is pleased to announce that it has been retained by the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) to provide real estate marketing and lead generation services for the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth. Following a competitive review process, FMERA entered into a contract with a team comprised of The Riddle Company (Washington, D.C.) as prime contractor, and subcontractors EMI Strategy (Newark, New Jersey) and Return on Investment, Inc. (Annandale, Virginia). Fort Monmouth is a nearly 1,200-acre, former military installation located in Monmouth County, NJ. The Fort was designated for closure in 2005 by the federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission and officially closed in 2011.
“Based on its proposal and the evaluation committee’s stringent evaluation, The Riddle Team shows great promise for attracting real estate development projects aligned with the Fort Monmouth Reuse and Redevelopment Plan,” said Dave Nuse, FMERA Director of Real Estate Development. “The Team’s background in addressing the unique challenges and opportunities posed by BRAC initiatives will support FMERA’s vision for the Fort.” The Riddle Team possesses substantial experience in lead generation and prospect sourcing for real estate development projects. The Team will be undertaking a full marketing program including lead generation and PR to support ongoing site disposition and tenant attraction. A series of site tours will launch in 2018.
There already has been millions of dollars in private investment at the Fort from tech companies and retail developers to educational institutions and housing developers, all since FMERA assumed control of the first 55 acres in 2013. Representative projects include Commvault’s new, 275,000 square-foot headquarters located in Tinton Falls; TetherView’s purchase and redevelopment of Russel Hall within the historic district of Fort Monmouth in Oceanport; Trinity Hall All-Girls High School (renovation of the former Child Development Center); and AASKI Technology, a defense contractor and communications engineering firm, which renovated an approximately 80,000-square-foot building. The 71-slip marina and restaurant were leased to a private concessionaire in 2014 and now are open to the public. Projects currently in the pipeline include RPM’s renovation of the 117 historic housing units surrounding the former parade grounds in Oceanport, and Paramount Realty Services’ and LMS Commercial Real Estate’s joint plans for the redevelopment of “Parcel B.” That 82-acre site fronting Route 35 in Eatontown will be transformed into “Freedom Pointe,” a walkable, lifestyle town center, including approximately 350,000 square feet of retail space and 302 residential units.
“These projects and those in the pipeline play a significant role in repositioning the Fort as an integral part of the economic base of the three communities in which it lies – Tinton Falls, Eatontown, and Oceanport,” said Nuse. FMERA has several RFPs for sites forthcoming. Information on these properties is available at FMERA’s site www.fortmonmouthnj.com/ bidding-opportunities. Anyone interested in joining FMERA’s mailing list for news and/or joining the RFP/RFOTP notification list, please visit www.fortmonmouthnj.com.
The Riddle Team will be co-managed by Catherine Timko, CEO of The Riddle Company and Emily Manz, President of EMI Strategy. Ms. Timko has been engaged in the fields of economic development and marketing for over 30 years, consulting on or directly influencing over seven million square feet of commercial space in cities including Washington, DC, Newark, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. Ms. Manz is a Newark-based urban planner and an expert in placemaking and lead generation, focused on providing services to public, non-profit, and private clients in New Jersey. The Riddle Team also includes David Nellis of Return on Investment, Inc., a strategic marketing communications agency based in Annandale, Virginia, that specializes in strategic brand positioning and marketing and in providing complete, online and offline creative services for communities and corporations.
FMERA
The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority’s mission is to spur economic development and job creation, and to revitalize the region after Fort Monmouth was shuttered in 2011. Totaling over 1,100 acres and spanning the municipalities of Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls, Fort Monmouth served as a center for development of communications technology, intelligence and reconnaissance services for the U.S. Army for more than 90 years. In 2010, Governor Chris Christie signed the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority Act into law. The law created FMERA and tasked it with spurring investment, job creation and economic growth in the communities impacted by the federal government’s decision to close the Fort. In 2014, FMERA acquired the Phase 1 parcels, totaling 563 acres, through a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Army. In November 2016, FMERA purchased the balance of Fort Monmouth, about 560 acres, from the Army. Approximately two-thirds of the Fort is currently sold, under contract or in negotiations with developers and users.
