Planning Board Approves Mall Expansion

BRIDGEWATER, NJ-The planning board of this Somerset County township has given its final approval to a proposal by the Rouse Co. to expand its Bridgewater Commons enclosed regional mall. The existing property totals some 900,000 sf, and the addition of nearly 200,000 sf of new space will boost the property past the one million-sf mark.

The expansion, which was first proposed two years ago, involves two parts. For one, 102,000 sf will be added to the existing, three-level building. The plan calls for some 50,000 sf to be added to the existing Macy’s department store, according to Rouse officials, and 40,000 sf will be tacked onto the 150,000-sf Bloomingdale’s anchor store. About 12,000 sf of small tenant space will be added to the mall itself. Besides Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor is the third anchor tenant.

Actual construction on the additions is slated to start early next year. A related revamp of the mall itself is already under way, according to a Rouse spokesperson, including new elevators and new flooring on the upper two levels. On the in-line tenant front, the Gap and Banana Republic are leaving the ranks, but Rouse has already signed American Eagle and Forever 21, a trendy apparel store, to replace them in the high-volume property.