CRANFORD – Used as storage since the 1970s, the hotel aspect of the Cranford Hotel | Restaurant & Bar is being put back to use.
It took nine months of construction and three years of planning, but Boxcar and Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects held their ribbon cuttings to celebrate their new home atop the Cranford Hotel | Restaurant & Bar. Boxcar’s offices are on the second floor, and Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects are located on the third floor.
Boxcar was started by Cranford resident Joe Colangelo, who originally envisioned it as Airbnb for parking. The concept was simple – Boxcar would lease parking spots from property owners who didn’t need their weekday parking, such as churches and VFWs, and make the spots available to commuters. In 2017, Boxcar added buses, which offered commuters reserved seating and service to parts of NYC which weren’t easily accessible by other mass transit options.
“I’m thrilled that we’re able to have our office in the heart of Downtown Cranford,” said Joe. “Cranford is such a walkable town and it offers incredible dining options. Also, the community spirit in this town just can’t be beat. So many people rose to the occasion last year and showed why Cranford is such a special place to be.”
Boxcar’s new office space feature five offices and a break room, but Boxcar will only be using two of those offices. Through the “Boxcar Office Club,” the remaining three offices will be available to rent for those commuting only a few days a week and want an alternative to working from home.
Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects, owned by Tom Connolly and Margaret Hickey, was already located in Cranford, but needed to find a new location as it outgrew its space on North Union Avneue. Frank DiTullio, the owner of Cranford Hotel, approached Connolly and told him that he was in the process of completely renovating the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Cranford Hotel. Connolly and Hickey both fell in love with the space and felt that it also offered plenty of room for their growing company.
For more information on Boxcar, you can visit their website: https://www.boxcar.com/.
For more information on Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects, you can visit their website: https://www.chhistoricalarchitects.com/services/