Constructed to appeal to New York City commuters and young professionals, The Modern — in Fort Lee, N.J. — is a luxury rental property touting two, 47-story skyscrapers, 900 apartments, 150,000-square-feet of resort-style amenities, and striking views of the Hudson River and Manhattan. Designed from the ground up by SJP Properties, The Modern features a second-story central laundry in each of its two towers, in addition to laundry equipment in each apartment.
Why the need for both? “The idea was to outfit the central laundries with oversized, commercial-grade equipment so residents wouldn’t need to venture off-site to clean bulky items and larger loads,” said SJP Field Operations Manager Michael Sorensen, who was involved in every aspect of The Modern’s planning, construction and initial property management.
While each apartment features stack laundry equipment, Sorensen maintains that the homestyle equipment isn’t engineered to take on heavy comforters, bulky throw rugs and family sized laundry loads. When residents need to knock out multiple laundry loads in less than 60 minutes, they gravitate to one of the Modern’s central laundries instead.
Central On-Site Laundries Satisfy Every Laundry Need
Designed and managed by Fowler Laundry Solutions (Fowler Laundry) in Union, N.J., each central laundry features a mix of high-speed, 30- and 40-pound capacity Continental ExpressWash® Washers and complementing ExpressDry® Dryers.
“We have been working with Fowler on projects like this for 25 years,” said Sorensen. “They are in on the project from the design stage and specify everything from the laundry layout to equipment mix. Then we design around their recommendations.”
And, like the rest of the building’s amenities, the central laundries are top-notch — featuring lounge areas, TVs and electronic payment systems that allow residents to pay with debit and credit cards. Moreover, the Continental washers and dryers, which are uber-efficient, reach extract speeds of up to 400 G-force for significantly more moisture removal, faster dry times and less water and natural gas usage. Compared to traditional hard-mount washers, The Modern’s freestanding Continental ExpressWash Washers cut dry time by up to 50 percent — shaving up to 20 minutes off total laundry time, according to Dan Schwartz, of Fowler Laundry.
“Everyone is looking to save time — especially when it comes to doing laundry,” he said. “Using Continental equipment, residents can wash, dry and fold laundry in under an hour.”
Easy Installation
Additionally, the washers’ soft-mount design makes for simple installation and quiet operation, according to Schwartz. “Unlike hard-mount washers, which must be bolted to concrete foundations, Continental soft-mount washers slide into place without need for bolt-down or grout,” he said. “This makes it possible to install them in upper-level laundries, like those at The Modern.” And, thanks to a Multi Directional Spring system that absorbs 95 percent of vibrations, the washers operate smoothly and quietly, which is critical for residents living above and below.
Fowler Laundry Handles the Management
Behind the scenes, Fowler Laundry and The Modern’s property management company share a revenue-sharing lease agreement that off-loads laundry management responsibilities. Thus, Fowler Laundry maintains and repairs the laundry equipment, as well as manages laundry revenue and accounting responsibilities, in exchange for a share of revenue generated.
Leaving laundry responsibilities in the hands of the experts makes perfect sense, according to Sorensen. “Why would we want to manage the laundry ourselves? For us it’s about amenities and services and happy residents, not revenue,” he said. “If a washer breaks, we have someone to come and fix it. That’s the best way for us to provide the best service for tenants. With this arrangement we can upgrade equipment after the contract is over. It gives us the best options.”
The Modern — Making People Happy
Open since 2014, The Modern strives to exceed tenant expectations. No doubt the building’s many perks — central laundries, saunas, fitness centers, yoga spaces, exercise rooms, children’s play areas, business centers, pool, basketball courts, golf simulators, theaters and bowling lane — contribute to that goal.
Flexibility is our mantra. Dependability is our trademark. Enjoy multiple laundry equipment options, vending/payment system choices and ownership/leasing solutions to perfectly fit your tenant laundry goals and unique ownership or management style. Trust Continental Girbau — and our professional network of distributors — to help you develop/renovate, equip, finance/lease, service and manage your laundry amenity!
