Omni Group completes renovation of C.J. Fox building, secures first tenants

PROVIDENCE – The Omni Group Inc. recently completed a two-year renovation of One Cedar St., the former C.J. Fox factory building, and has secured the first five tenants.
The property, a former specialty box manufacturer, is among the largest holdings of 11 commercial buildings acquired by Omni Group over the past decade. The properties known collectively as West Exchange Center cover some eight acres of land in Federal Hill, between I-95 and Dean Street.
One Cedar St. – a four-story, brick building on a two-acre site – was purchased by Omni in April 2013 for $1.6 million. Contractors gutted the 50,000-square-foot building, which dates to the 1890s, and installed all-new mechanical systems and windows. The exterior was sand-blasted and the masonry repointed, according to Omni Group CEO William DiStefano Jr.
The historical elements that remain include the wooden floors and original brick.
The first five tenants at the site started moving in over the past several months, after locations were fit-out to their specifications. They are: United Retirement Plan Consultants, an Ohio-based company that works with small and medium-sized businesses; the Boston-based law firm Donoghue Barrett & Singal; Maxim Healthcare Services, a Maryland-based medical staffing company; Bond, an Everett, Mass.-based construction management company; and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, an engineering and design company that occupies the top floor.
About 70 percent of the building is occupied. The space that remains takes up about half of two floors, according to DiStefano. It is being marketed as Class B office space. Free parking is available for tenants. “It’s a big advantage,” DiStefano said.
The long process of renovating the building was arduous, but worthwhile, according to DiStefano. “We were fortunate,” he said. “We knew this building would shine and be a beautiful building.”