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BRIDGEWATER – When the Bridgewater Public Shopping Center first opened more than three decades ago, it was a state-of-the-art shopping center attracting shoppers from beyond Central Jersey.
Often referred to as the new downtown of central Jersey, the Commons is home to the first Disney store outside of California. During the holiday shopping season, roads around malls are congested and parking lots are full. Security guards on horses ride horses in the parking lot.
Shopping patterns gradually began to evolve. Stern’s became Bloomingdales, Hahnes became Lord & Taylor. Malls continue to prosper, and it’s still sometimes difficult to find an empty table in the food court.
But with the popularity of online shopping, malls are looking for other ways to attract shoppers. The Village at Bridgewater Commons officially opened in 2006, bringing the shops within the shopping center complex to a new location on Commons Way. Three restaurants — Cheesecake Factory, Seasons 52 and Redstone American Grill — opened on pads outside the mall building.
But the retail environment continued to deteriorate. Lord & Taylor closed and the building was being used as a vaccination center during the pandemic. Crate & Barrel closes at The Village of Bridgewater Commons and is replaced by a medical office. Vacancy rates within malls, once rare, are now common.
Other malls have adapted to the changing retail environment.
The granddaddy of Central Jersey malls, Woodbridge Center features a carousel, aquarium, indoor playground, All in Adventure escape room, indoor gun range and bungee jumping area.
in East Brunswick, child empire, with locations in Watchung, Linden and Woodbridge, is proposing an indoor playground for children 12 and under at the Mid-State Mall on Route 18. The proposal called for a large two-storey playground and a smaller “toddler” playground for toddlers and babies. Kids Empire will also be opening at Manville’s Marketplace.
To help draw more people to the Bridgewater Commons, one of the town’s largest taxpayers, the town council on Monday passed a zoning ordinance that would allow for games, entertainment and entertainment within the mall.
This would allow popular venues such as Topgolf or Dave & Busters to be located in the mall. The ordinance states that no future premises will be larger than 90,000 square feet.
For example, Dave & Busters ranges from 25,000 to 45,000 square feet, while Topgolf requires 65,000 square feet.
But not all council members are happy with the ordinance.
Assemblyman Filipe Pedroso said he was “uncomfortable” with the wording in the ordinance.
He said some of the terms of the allowed agency “required interpretation” and that they should be better defined.
But councilor Timothy Ring said the change was “important to the financial success of the shopping center and the town of Bridgewater”.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com.To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon please subscribe or activate your digital account.
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