Planning Board OKs 285,000-SF Shopping Center

In plans laid out before the planning board by Edgewood president Jack Morris and other company officials, the complex would be made up of an anchor-tenant building of almost 140,000 sf, four additional retail buildings ranging from 10,000 sf to 50,000 sf, an outparcel site for a bank and 1,000 parking spaces. Company officials did not disclose a total cost of the proposed project.

Edgewood officials also provided only general information about the center's tenant mix, and Morris told planning board members that no leases have been signed yet. Company officials outlined a general tenant mix that would include five so-called "big box" stores, at least three restaurants and a bank, among others.

Two possibilities for the array of restaurants, according to observers, include Houlihan's and Uno Chicago Grill, based on the fact that the two chains recently bought liquor licenses in the township and do not currently have eateries here. Company officials would not confirm their interest in the new shopping center.

Each of the center's three proposed restaurant slots would be in the range of 5,000 sf, according to Edgewood's site plan. Other restaurant names floated by Morris at the planning board meeting were Chili's and Applebee's.

As far as the rest of the tenant mix, Morris did mention Linens 'n Things as a potential tenant, and indicated that others could include a combination of a bookstore, sporting goods store, and possibly a toy store and/or warehouse/club. All would be national chains.

Approval of Brick 70 Shopping Center is also a milestone of sorts for this fast-growing, Jersey Shore-area township of nearly 80,000 people. Under the township's current master plan and zoning, the project's development site is considered to be the last significant undeveloped commercial site in town.

"We're 98% developed," Mayor Joseph Scarpelli said at the planning board meeting. His administration has concurrently launched an aggressive open-space preservation effort that is aimed at, among other things, curbing residential development and focusing on redevelopment of existing commercial sites.