SMG, art school, rock gym sign leases at big new Montclair development

The first three businesses have signed leases at a mixed-use development nearing completion in downtown Montclair, according to joint venture partners Ironstate Development Co. and Brookfield Properties.

The property along Bloomfield Avenue alongside the historic Wellmont Theater will include two buildings straddling Seymour Street: Two South Willow will feature 200 rental apartments, parking and 38,000 square feet of street-level retail and arts spaces. Much of the retail will front onto Wellmont Arts Plaza, a former part of Seymour Street being converted into a 12,000-square-foot outdoor space. One Seymour Plaza will include 40,000 square feet of medical office space, as well as a five-story municipal parking garage at the corner of Glenridge Avenue and North Willow Street.

Hoboken-based Ironstate said the three businesses are slated to open in the first half of 2021. One River School, an art education program, and the Gravity Vault Indoor Rock Gym, an indoor rock climbing experience, will open in Two South Willow’s retail component, while Summit Medical Group, a major New Jersey medical practice, will occupy the office space at One Seymour Plaza.

“One River School, the Gravity Vault and Summit Medical Group will complement the dynamic lineup of arts, entertainment, fitness and community services we’re curating to echo Montclair’s unique character and appeal,” David Barry, Ironstate’s CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Montclair is well-known for tastefully blending local merchants with high-profile brands, and we plan on partnering with businesses who share our vision for community building, a desire to enhance residents’ daily lives and will attract new visitors to the township.”

One River School, based in Englewood, has 13 locations across the country, and will occupy about 3,300 square feet of space in Montclair, including an exhibition area.

“Montclair represents the cultural capital of northern New Jersey,” founder Matt Ross said in a statement. “We want to be part of this community and believe this new destination will enhance the arts vibe that already exists here.”

The former CEO of the School of Rock music school added: “We’re so excited to have the Wellmont Theater as a neighbor; in my view, the cultural benchmark for live music in suburbia.”

A Gravity Vault rock climbing gym. (Courtesy photo)

The Gravity Vault Indoor Rock Gym’s new location will be its 11th, including several in New Jersey. The 12,000-square-foot Montclair space will be custom-designed and dedicated purely to bouldering—a form of rock climbing done on shorter walls without ropes. The facility will also include areas for other exercises, including yoga, fitness and more.

“Montclair is an amazing community, and we are excited to finally have found the perfect space and partner to open our facility with,” co-founder Lucas Kovalcik said in a statement. “… We love the culture found along Bloomfield Avenue, and can’t wait to open our front doors directly across the new pedestrian walkway to the Wellmont Theater.

“Ironstate and Brookfield understand how to create a destination and bring in complementary amenities and services that will attract visitors and give them a reason to stay.”

Berkeley Heights-based Summit Medical Group, which has more than 80 locations in the state, will take over all of the medical office space at One Seymour Plaza.

“We are excited to expand our roots in Montclair with a medical practice that will provide primary care and high-demand specialties including women’s health, pediatrics and more,” Summit CityMD Chief Operating Officer Karen Graham said in a statement. “We are proud to be a part of the development that will bring a vibrant collective space and destination for the community.”

The project is designed by Marchetto Higgins Stieve and Minno Wasko, with interiors by Kara Mann Design.