Clarus Maplewood is the best mixed-use community of 2018, according to the Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of New Jersey.
The boutique rental community just steps from the Maplewood train station recently took home the coveted “Community of the Year” honors at the association’s annual Awards of Excellence dinner. It was one of four awards earned by Clarus Maplewood, capping a night that saw the community honored for everything from its overall product design to its logo and website.
In addition to its luxury rental residences that are a cut above many other upscale rental residences on the market, Clarus Maplewood’s thriving street-level retail and its status as the first residential community in New Jersey designed to achieve WELL certification likely helped it earn “Community of the Year” honors in the mixed-use category for developer JMF Properties.
“We are honored that Clarus Maplewood was chosen for this prestigious award,” said Joe Forgione, the founder and principal of JMF Properties. “It is certainly gratifying to be recognized for our work because a lot of time, effort and careful attention to detail went into creating this community. We have an extraordinarily talented team of professionals who devoted themselves to this project wholeheartedly from day one, and they should be tremendously proud of what they have accomplished.”
Clarus Maplewood opened in October, 2017, and was 100 percent leased by early 2018. The building’s street-level retail also leased quickly. Starbucks, BCB Bank, Abby Haliti Salon, and The Cassidy Bar + Kitchen have all opened at the community.
Clarus means “clear” or “bright” in Latin, and its namesake ambience is evident throughout the property. It offers a balanced lifestyle with light-filled residences, exquisite finishes and appointments and a curated collection of amenities. Spacious residences feature such high-end finishes as Jenn-Air and Whirlpool appliances and Quartz countertops. But it is Clarus Maplewood’s design for WELL certification that truly sets it apart from other luxury residential communities.
WELL-certified buildings are designed to maximize residents’ comfort, health and wellbeing to the standards of the International WELL Building Institute™. Certified WELL Multifamily Residential buildings create an environment that helps improve resident sleep patterns, nutrition, fitness and mood. From the moment the project was conceived, JMF Properties decided to pursue WELL certification.
Clarus is located on Maplewood Avenue in Maplewood Village, among the community’s many boutique shops, restaurants and sidewalk cafes. The train station is just steps away, whisking commuters to and from Manhattan in about 35 minutes. Residents enjoy Maplewood’s high walkability score, with destinations such as Kings food market and the Maplewood Theatre right across the street.
Residents of the community have access to a full suite of amenities including a WELL studio with a state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga and spin, resident lounge, billiards, and a beautifully-designed luxe lobby with double-sided fireplace. A digital, fitness-on-demand personal trainer is also available 24 hours a day in the virtual fitness room. The distinctive three-story Clarus building includes a parking garage with an electric car charger, personal storage space for residents and elevator service.
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