New Real Estate Building Planned For West River Road

856

By Christina Johnson |
RUMSON – The new real estate office building that will be built at the busy corner of West River Road and Bingham Avenue has been designed to reflect the Rumson/Oceanic Village style of 125 years ago.
“We wanted to create a building that looked like it had always been there,” said architect James “Jay” Anderson of Anderson Campanella Architects in Rumson.
The richly detailed two-story, 4,000-square- foot real estate office building to be situated near the entrance of the Oceanic Bridge will be owned by 1 West River Road LLC. The plans recently received planning and zoning board approvals. It will be a new home for Mary Burke, owner, president and broker of record of Heritage House Sotheby’s International, which is expanding its presence in Rumson. The real estate company also has an office at 23 West River Road.
The building fronts on both of the major roads, but also incorporates an octagonal element that Anderson says transitions the corner from one street to other, creating a frontal quality on River Road even though the parking lot and entrance are on the opposite side of the building.
The appearance of the building was drawn from elements and characteristics of local structures, some demolished, and some still standing, from the late 1800s and early 1900s when the area was growing quickly. For inspiration, Anderson relied on their personal library of old photographs, and studied details from storefronts like Rumson Pharmacy, Brennan’s, Diane Turton, Russell & Bette’s and the Coldwell Banker building.
The ground floor of the building has the character of a storefront, with painted millwork, glass and divided light transoms. The working shutters feature period hardware. The second floor is of natural, untreated cedar shingle. The roof had darker deep olive trim. Other details include hand molded brick foundations and pebble dash panels.
“Pebble dash is a treatment they did in siding where they took stucco and embedded stone and glass to give it a cool texture and give it a focal point. For whatever reason, I haven’t seen it in the last hundred years,” said Anderson.
The property was once the site of a gas station. The existing former real estate building will be demolished in December to make way for the office building. The building will have nine parking spaces, lighting, landscaping, curbing and sidewalks.


This article was first published in the Oct. 26-Nov. 1, 2017 print edition of The Two River Times.