Iron, Imagination, and Inspiration from Yale

During a visit to Yale, I spent time with the Memorial Quadrangle Gate at 74 High Street—a striking example of Samuel Yellin’s wrought iron mastery. Completed between 1918 and 1922, the gate weaves military symbolism into its design: the five branches of the armed services, signal flags, eagles, and even a soldier-shaped door handle.

Set within a warm stone archway beside Harkness Tower, it opens into the quiet greenery of the Branford College courtyard. Up close, the craftsmanship is remarkable—ornament not for ornament’s sake, but full of narrative and intent.

We’ve added it to our knowledge library as we continue work on the Sacred Heart campus. Yellin’s gate reminds us how iron and artistry can carry meaning—and how design rooted in purpose can shape the identity of a place.

Heritage and Craft: Lessons from the Yellin Archives

Earlier this week, I visited the archives at the University of Pennsylvania to spend time with the papers of Samuel Yellin, one of the great ironworkers of the early 20th century. Known for his uncompromising artistry and devotion to craft, Yellin left behind a body of work that continues to define the visual character of cathedrals, universities, and civic spaces across the country.

What I didn’t expect to find—but did—was a thick file of correspondence between Yellin and John O’Hare, the contractor for the Sacred Heart Church in Jersey City. In over 150 pages of letters, they discussed in fine detail the hardware for doors, windows, and the chapel gates—elements that still grace the space today. Even more remarkably, several original hand drawings were preserved, offering not just technical guidance, but insight into a way of building that valued beauty and permanence as much as function.

This kind of legacy reminds us why we do the work we do.

I was also delighted to find a treasure drove of drawings unrelated to the Sacred Heart that showed Yellin’s whimsical side.

At JARIC, we’re not simply redeveloping historic structures—we’re restoring a continuity of heritage and craft. These archival discoveries aren’t just historical footnotes; they’re blueprints for how we think about design, materials, and community. As we move forward with Sacred Heart and other projects, that sense of intentionality—the conversation between past makers and present stewards—will continue to shape every detail, from the ironwork to the landscaping.

It’s not nostalgia. It’s respect—for the hands that built before us, and for the generations who’ll walk through these doors.

Unearthing the Past: A Visit to Seton Hall Archives

At JARIC, we believe that stewardship of historic properties is more than renovation—it’s reverence. This week, while researching the history of the Sacred Heart Church in Jersey City, we visited the Seton Hall Archives and uncovered some truly beautiful treasures.

Among the discoveries: original renderings of lighting fixtures designed for the nave—intricately detailed, thoughtfully engineered, and still stunning nearly a century later. These fixtures were drawn by Rambusch of New York, a name synonymous with ecclesiastical artistry. We also came across correspondence from 1914—letters written even before the church’s construction—offering a rare glimpse into the early planning and deep community roots that gave rise to Sacred Heart.

As we move forward with the adaptive reuse of these spaces, we take our short time as custodians seriously. That means learning everything we can: how these buildings came to be, what they meant to those who built and worshipped in them, and how they can serve the next generation.

The past speaks—our job is to listen, learn, and honor it.

Servant Leadership in Sacred Spaces

This week, we had the privilege of attending the opening of a new church—rebuilt from the ashes after a devastating act of arson. What stood out most wasn’t the newness of the structure, or even the elegance of the design. It was the people.

Many of the parishioners gathered there had once worshipped at Sacred Heart Church. For them, stained glass isn’t just decoration or architectural reverence—it’s storytelling. It’s scripture. It’s memory. We watched as they paused in front of a familiar panel now installed in their new sanctuary: Jesus washing the feet of His disciples.

That image—quiet, humble, deeply human—cut through all the grandeur. It reminded us of what servant leadership really looks like. It’s not about building monuments. It’s about meeting people where they are. Washing feet. Listening. Serving.

At JARIC, we take preservation seriously. But visiting this community reminded us of something deeper: we’re not just restoring buildings—we’re holding space for meaning, memory, and continuity. Sacred architecture is never just about form. It’s about function in the most profound sense: the function of belonging.

We must not only preserve the stained glass—we must listen to the light it casts on the lives of those who still gather beneath it.

Old Buildings, New Tools: How Modern Tech is Helping Us Preserve the Past

Old Buildings, New Tools: How Modern Tech is Helping Us Preserve the Past

At JARIC, our work spans everything from soaring Gothic churches to humble mid-century Sears homes—and no matter the scale, preservation starts with precision. Fortunately, today’s tools are transforming how we care for these structures.

A hundred years ago, assessing the integrity of a five-story church required scaffolding, guesswork, and a lot of time. Today, we can fly a drone in minutes to inspect rooftops, masonry, and gutters with stunning clarity. Cracks in stonework, missing mortar joints, even subtle shifts in alignment—nothing hides from a modern lens.

Lidar scanning, now even available on iPhones, helps us generate exact 3D models of interiors and exteriors alike. That means faster, more accurate diagnoses and plans. And with infrared imaging, we can see what the eye can’t—moisture behind plaster, energy loss in walls, or heat from faulty wiring.

These tools aren’t just impressive—they’re critical. They allow us to detect wear early, stabilize aging systems, and prioritize repairs before costly damage occurs.

Whether it’s a Sears catalog house from 1954 or a cathedral designed by masters, technology lets us work smarter and more responsibly as stewards of the built environment.

Because honoring the past means preserving it—efficiently, accurately, and with the best tools available.

Jaspreet Singh’s Advice on How To Create Generational Wealth

Jaspreet Singh, known as “Minority Mindset” on Youtube, is an entrepreneur and licensed attorney who claims his mission is to make financial education fun and accessible. Singh says his brand has helped countless people get out of debt, start investing and create a path toward building wealth.

Read his 6 Tips to Building Generational Wealth here;

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jaspreet-singh-advice-create-generational-151650453.html

Commercial Solar in New Jersey

https://re-nj.com/big-energy-how-fast-growing-solar-landscape-became-a-force-in-new-jersey-commercial-real-estate/

A state pilot program has made it notably easier and notably more lucrative for commercial landlords in New Jersey to join the clean energy movement, allowing solar developers to lease their rooftops and sell power to nearby residents.

For companies such as Solar Landscape, the opportunity was as clear as day.

Shaun Keegan

“Just like flying into Newark and seeing huge warehouses with no solar on them, the writing was on the wall,” said Shaun Keegan, co-founder and CEO of the Asbury Park-based solar developer. “It made a lot of sense, so we put a lot of resources into leasing those roofs.”

Solar Landscape has done more than simply seize the opportunity. It has become a key player with a visible presence in New Jersey’s commercial real estate industry, having leased more than 20 million square feet of rooftop space from some of the state’s top property owners. The firm also boasts the largest share of projects under the Community Solar Energy Pilot Program, launched in 2019 under Gov. Phil Murphy, as the state prepares to expand capacity and adopt permanent rules for the clean energy platform.

Equally important: Solar developers and local landlords have only scratched the surface in this area. Estimates say that just 4 percent of all rooftops larger than 100,000 square feet in the state have solar panels, the company says, in a time when real estate firms are increasingly focused on sustainability. Not to mention the fast-growing opportunity in other states, many of which have mimicked New Jersey’s Community Solar program, along with new federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.

The Parking Glut in America

https://www.wsj.com/articles/parking-problem-too-much-cities-e94dcecf?mod=us_lead_pos3

Meanwhile, garages are rarely full. A 2012 survey by real-estate firm Colliers International found downtown parking garages in most major U.S. and Canadian cities have at least 20% vacancy during weekdays and on weekends during special events.

For decades, American cities have had a parking problem: too much of it.

Countless residential parking spots go unused, and many downtown garages sit half empty. Ride-sharing and the rise of remote work during the pandemic have aggravated the trend. The average American drove 4% fewer miles in 2022 than in 2019, according to government statistics.

Recognizing this, cities are shrinking the number of spaces, freeing up the land for other uses, with far-reaching consequences. 

Garages and parking lots are being demolished. New buildings now come with fewer spots. Major retailers are leasing unused spaces for new development. And local governments are scrapping decades-old minimum-parking rules for new buildings. 

Urban planners and economists say this helps to reduce construction costs, hold down rents, relieve congestion, revitalize cities and mitigate the national housing shortage by making better use of some of the country’s most valuable land. 

“The Dutch have reclaimed land from the sea, and I think we can reclaim land from parking,” said Donald Shoup, an urban planner at the University of California, Los Angeles who pioneered the field of parking research.

 Any driver who has been late to an appointment for lack of a parking spot might be surprised to hear there is a parking glut. Economists, however, say expectations for inexpensive or free on-street parking create the appearance of scarcity when in fact spots often are plentiful nearby. Drivers prefer to circle the block looking for government-provided curbside parking rather than paying more in a privately owned garage. That adds to congestion.