Newark Hat Maker, Innovation Cathedral Earn 'Good Neighbor' Award

NEWARK, NJ — Audible’s “Innovation Cathedral” and the Serratelli Hat Company in Newark recently earned a long-running award for being “good neighbors” in their communities.

Last week, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) announced the 2020 winners of the New Good Neighbor Awards, which pay tribute to “noteworthy projects have benefited their communities and improved New Jersey’s overall economic landscape.”

This year’s 13 winters included two Newark projects, the NJBIA reported.

Audible Innovation Cathedral – “Audible opened the Innovation Cathedral, a state-of-the-art technology center in May 2019. With 400 tech employees working in the space, it is helping Audible realize its vision of supporting students, interns and entrepreneurs, and bolstering Newark’s image as a nationally renowned technology hub. Historically, the cathedral was home to the Second Presbyterian Church, founded in 1811. In 2014, Audible and 120 construction workers began the $62.2 million rehabilitation of the 80,000-square-foot church and adjoining buildings, thoughtfully and meticulously preserving many of the historic elements and providing a complementary environment for technological creativity. The architect as Spectorgroup of New York City; the builder was Fidelco Group of Millburn.”

Serratelli Hat Company – “The Serratelli Hat Company, a family-owned business that has been making cowboy hats for much of its 142-year history, completed a two-year, $1.55 million expansion and renovation of its Newark headquarters and manufacturing site in 2019. The turn-of-the-century building’s red brick was repaired, washed, repainted and restored to maintain the original historic style. Construction included new windows, doors, awnings, stairs and a loading dock. The interior pace was redesigned to pay tribute to the business’s Old West influences while also meeting modern workforce needs with the addition of new conference and break rooms, private offices and communal work spaces. The architect was Office Space Planners, Inc. of East Brunswick, and the builder was JPD Inc., of Newark.”

Other winning projects included:

• ACY1 Amazon Fulfillment Center, West Deptford
• Allied Beverage Group, Elizabeth
• Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute, Madison
• Bergen Community College STEM Student Research Center, Paramus
• CentraState Medical Center, Freehold
• Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley & Clifton
• PSE&G Highland Park Solar Storage
• RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center, Piscataway
• Skyline Hall at William Paterson University, Wayne
• Stockton University Academic Building, Atlantic City
• Washington Street Redesign Project, Hoboken

Together, the 13 winning projects created $404 million in capital investment, nearly 2,800 construction jobs and more than 3,800 permanent jobs, according to NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka.

“These projects also improve our quality of life, revitalizing neighborhoods, bringing communities together and providing valuable services,” Siekerka said. “We’re proud to honor these projects and we thank all of them for making New Jersey a better place to live, work and play.”

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