Asbury Park, NJ Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. (Partner) announced the August opening of its new office building. The office, which is set to open on August 26 pending final inspection, will serve as Partner’s east coast headquarters and home to 70+ engineering and consulting professionals. The opening marks a significant investment and participation in the revitalization of the west side of Asbury Park.
The extensive renovation and modernization of the building over the past two years represents Partner's unwavering commitment to being a great home for talented professionals and a leader in the return-to-office movement. The transformed workspace not only blends original features with modern functionality but also reaffirms Partner’s dedication to creating an exceptional in-office experience where employees can thrive together.
For Frank S. Romeo, Jr., president of Partner, the acquisition of a new home for Partner’s regional Headquarters in Asbury Park resonates on both a professional and a personal level.
“The renovation and reinvention of the Rogers Building was truly a labor of love. Investing in the Asbury Park business community reflects our strong commitment to establishing long-term roots in Asbury Park’s revitalization. This building will provide a collaborative, modern workspace that allows our team plenty of opportunity to interact, and that interaction among professionals at all experience levels creates a community and fosters professional growth. Our employees are excited to return to the office, especially in an area with a thriving downtown, famous for its music and arts history. Many of our staff live locally and can now walk, bike, or take NJ transit to work, and our whole NYC suburban workforce can enjoy the proximity to the beach, the boardwalk—it’s just a cool place to work.”
The 18,000 s/f, three-story office building at 929 Asbury Ave. was designed with Partner’s workforce in mind. It includes private offices, conference rooms, flexible workstations, and amenities to support employee collaboration and well-being. The new space offers places to gather, collaborate closely on projects, and connect in-person for mentorship and learning.
Joseph Derhake, PE, CEO of Partner, said, “Restoring and preserving the industrial roots of the building while simultaneously creating an office environment tailored for today’s workforce required the precise skills and talent for which Partner’s team is widely recognized – in this case, not for a client, but for our own workspace. The collaborative vision, input, and contributions by the very people set to occupy the building ensured that a dynamic and fun, yet productive and inspiring environment was delivered for today and into the future as we grow. Partner is committed to leading the next business cycle, and by establishing this impressive regional HQ, we’re attracting remote workers back to the office. Moreover, we’re investing in Monmouth County, a great hub for local talent.”
Originally built by local businessperson A.E. Rogers in the late 19th century as a furniture warehouse and showroom, the property at the corner of Asbury and Langford Avenues sits just one mile from the beach. The legacy of the building's original owner, the Rogers family, continues to thrive today. When Partner began renovating the property in August 2023, they discovered that the project’s original construction superintendent was a direct descendant of the Rogers family, highlighting the enduring influence of the family’s history on the building.]
Highlights include:
- Collaborative Spaces: The building is filled with light, thanks to the 84 windows now adorning the structure, compared to the original 16. The light-filled space is a combination of private offices, conference and meeting space, flexible workstations, and amenities.
- Sustainable Design: Partner Energy, a division of Partner, collaborated on design and building system commissioning to achieve Green Globes certification, ensuring efficient energy and water consumption.
- Large Kitchen and Common Areas: Roll-up ground-level doors provide an open-air kitchen and entertainment area, complete with a shuffleboard table, which flows into a large patio with additional seating. The second and third floors have smaller kitchen and break areas. There is a large balcony/deck on the second floor as well.
- Historic Character: Partner chose to maintain the character of the building. This included preserving original exposed brick in interiors and installing a double-stringer staircase in the former freight elevator shaft, which now serves as a stunning architectural feature within the space. The space includes salvaged levers, counterweights, and doors from the freight elevators that have been used as decorative industrial accents.
Given the building’s advanced age, innovative approaches were needed to preserve its original structure. Close collaboration between the design, engineering, and construction teams - with Parallel Architectural Group serving as the architect – was critical. Partner’s in-house construction management oversaw the project, ensuring deadlines were met and solving challenges on-site. Partner’s civil engineering team also navigated the city’s planning and permitting processes, while zoning and environmental teams assisted with the acquisition.
Although the structure was robust enough to endure another century, the stucco façade presented significant construction challenges. The original plan called for adding rigid insulation over the existing stucco, with panels to support a new, thinner brick façade. However, ML, Inc., the general contractor discovered that the stucco—originally applied with the tools of the late 19th century—was too uneven and out of plumb to accommodate the insulation and panels. To address this, the contractor reframed the entire perimeter, applied spray insulation, installed DensGlass sheathing, waterproofed the structure, and then added the brick cladding for the new façade. Similarly, the floor had an undulating, wavy surface with height variations of up to eight inches in some areas. Although designers anticipated some slope, the original plan for an industrial-style concrete floor was simply not feasible due to the uneven subfloor. The design team instead opted for carpet tiles and vinyl plank flooring, selecting colors and styles that still conveyed the desired industrial and engineering aesthetic.
Seeing the restored brick façade at the intersection of Asbury and Langsford is particularly fulfilling for Romeo, who grew up in the area. “I remember when there were boarded up, blighted buildings everywhere. Being a part of Asbury Park’s transformation, especially here on the west side, is an experience I value deeply,” said Romeo. “We hope that our new building and our presence encourages even more revitalization in this neighborhood.”
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