Plans have been revived for a massive retail shopping center in the Cedarbridge Corporate Campus, FAA News has learned.
In 2017, a for-profit corporate arm of Beth Medrash proposed a 187,000 sq foot mall project known as Lakewood Shopping Village on this site, which fronts Avenue of The States, adjacent to the existing Cedarbridge Commons/ Chase Bank shopping center.
The new proposal, submitted by Mark Chopp of Tower Park Equity, is for a total of 3 buildings with a total of 115,236 sq feet of retail shopping space.
The Site Plan depict a full movement access driveway to Avenue of The States opposite the Boulevard of The Americas intersection, and a 2-way driveway to Avenue of The States north of the Boulevard of The Americas intersection.
The architectural plans depict that each building will contain retail shopping stores on the first floor and storage space for the individual stores in the basements. Building 1 will contain 10 stores, building 2 will contain 15 stores, and building 3 will be a smaller pad site.
A total of 597 spaces, including 14 ADA spaces and 26 electric car ready spaces are proposed, which is in excess of the Township's requirement of 571 spaces, including 12 ADA spaces (based on 1 parking space per 200 sq feet of retail shopping center space.)
The traffic study commissioned by the developers and done by McDonough & Rea Associates recommends upgrading the Avenue of The States/ Boulevard of The Americas intersection (which will be the main entrance to the new shopping center) with a new traffic signal, and the the New Hampshire Avenue/ Boulevard of The Americas intersection with an eastbound left turning lane and a multi-phase traffic signal system. It is unclear when these improvements would be done and who will pay for them.
The traffic study also asserts that peak hours for retail shopping traffic are different than the peak hours for school bus traffic, and that much of the retail shopping center traffic will be "passers-by" who are anyways on the road for other reasons and they happen to stop in to the shopping center, as well "internal traffic" from residents who are already shopping or working in the Cedarbridge Corporate Campus.
As such, the traffic study concludes that "the subject application can be approved and operate compatibly with future traffic conditions in the surrounding area."
It appears that this application will be presented as fully conforming and by-right as Lakewood's Township Committee has already amended the zoning ordinance to make the proposed use as well as the size of the buildings permitted by-right.
The application only requests a single submission waiver from providing an Environmental Impact Statement as the applicant has represented that there are no known environmental constraints as per NJ GIS mapping.
Curiously, an Affidavit of Ownership was submitted with the application, however the name of the owner was left blank.
Lakewood Township's Planning Board is scheduled to hear this project's Subdivision and Site Plan applications at their upcoming March 14 public hearing.
It appears that yet another massive retail shopping center is in the works for the area. In May 2022 the Township Committee approved sale of another parcel of land in the area for redevelopment. FAA News has learned that plans are underway for a 171,900 sq foot mixed use building, as well a 32,840 sq foot retail building at that location.
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2 comments:
The application clearly says that Lakewood Township NJ is the owner (which it is). Once there is approvals, they gift the land to BMG for free, who then flips it a day later to the developer for profit. And because there is a 30 yr tax abatement, the developer pays more for the land. This is how the whole Cedarbridge was done.
It's fascinating when the fire commission wants to buy a new fire truck for $80000 there needs to be a referendum and that makes sense since they are spending the public's money people have a right to vote.
However when there is a 400 million dollar giveaway... 200 acres, With a 30 year abatement The public has no say on the matter. It's one thing to get away free property But a statement's on meant to encourage development don't you think properly bringing free is enough of an incentive? Do we really need to incentivize development and this over developed town? Is this really For the benefit of the little guy the taxpayer?
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