June - July 2001 Edition

Fixing up the Radburn Building

Historic photo provided by Joel Ives   After noticing the recent improvements at the Radburn Building, Fair Lawn News talked with the owner, tenants and an architect about the Radburn building.    Improvements:   The owners, Alex and Susan Cocoziello, obstetrician-gynecologists on Broadway in Elmwood Park, purchased the building recently and are spending over $500,000 to spruce it up.  Inside they are re-doing the bathrooms, lobby, lighting, doors, floors, and ceiling.  Outside, they put in new sidewalks, trees, awnings and canopies.  Also, instead of each tenant having a dumpster outside the stores with separate trash service, the owners are centralizing the service and then landscaping around the dumpsters.   Building History:  Joel Ives, an architect in the building, told Fair Lawn News that the 1929 building was designed to be the focal point of the Radburn community.   He said in many ways it still is, because of the clock tower.  He said retail has changed over the years, but the Radburn Building has successfully adapted to changing uses.   Great Place to Work:  Joel Ives said the building is an important amenity for attracting new employees.  The walk-thru lobby works well, there is enough parking (when the commuters stay out of the lot).  It’s a great place to work, you can go to a bagel store, florist, sandwich shop, bank and many other places conveniently.  He said that is an important quality of life amenity.   Canopies:  The owners are spending over $30,000 just on the canopies and awnings.   Joel Ives said the canopies and awnings “act as a cohesive element that ties the design together".   He said "they also cut down on the building’s heat load, by keeping the sun from heating the building up, an important feature for a building that wasn’t originally designed for air conditioning".     Tenants:  The offices are mostly between 200 and 900 square feet and rent out for as little as $600 per month.   Some tenants have spent their entire career in one little room.  Referring to the recent improvements, Andrew Poley an attorney on the second floor said “it is like night and day around here both inside and outside”.  Radburn Deli’s new owner, Valerie Berthoud said she is pleased to see recent changes, “the owner is doing a good job restoring the building”.   Joel Ives' firm, the Ives Group, is now the building’s largest tenant with 23 people.  One of the major architecture firms in northern New Jersey, the firm is designing three major projects in New York City (a new train station in Queens and shopping centers in Harlem and downtown Brooklyn).   Mr. Ives started out of his Fair Lawn home and then moved to the Radburn Building fifteen years ago.   Why Improve:  According to Alex Cocoziello, property owners need to take pride in their community and the economy of the town.  They need to feel by giving something they will get something back.  If tenants feel they are getting more, they will be willing to pay higher rents.    Downtown Vision:  Alex Cocoziello said he would like to see wider sidewalks at the intersection of Fair Lawn Avenue and Plaza Road.  "It would be easier to walk between stores and it would create a more downtown feel."  He would also like to see more cafes with outdoor seating in the neighborhood.    (See related articles from the Fair Lawn News archives about creating a downtown and pedestrian improvements.)   Flag:  Alex Cocoziello said the Radburn Building business owners remind him of his ancestors who came from Italy and worked hard to improve their lives.  He said "I am putting up an American flag because I take great pride in this country."      What Do You Think?: Send an e- mail to editor@fairlawnnews.com or post a message on the Fair Lawn News Discussion Forum.