Summerhill Square OK’d for Meyer’s site

Board concludes

10 months of hearings on Rte. 18 retail village

BY VINCENT TODARO

Staff Writer

Say goodbye to the remains of the Meyer’s shopping mall, and hello to Summerhill Square.

The East Brunswick Planning Board last week gave the green light to Pagano Real Estate Inc. to redevelop the blighted Route 18 retail center into a modern shopping village called Summerhill Square.

The July 27 approval paves the way for the current buildings to be razed so that 150,000 square feet of retail space can be built at the site, which has been mostly vacant for years. The shopping center will include two primary retail pads, divided by a small roadway, along with two smaller retail buildings at the front and back of the site, which is bordered by Arthur Street to the south and Summerhill Road to the west.

David Himelman, attorney for the Glen Rock-based developer, said his client is seeking “good quality tenants” around which the retail center can be based.

“He’s looking for a good anchor tenant to build around,” Himelman said.

One possible tenant is Whole Foods Market, an Austin, Texas-based retailer of natural and organic foods. The company has 172 stores, including eight in New Jersey.

Himelman said there have also been talks with The Gap and other popular companies.

The shopping center is expected to feature a variety of smaller, upscale stores and have a Main Street feel, with benches, sidewalks and old-fashioned street lighting.

Construction could begin as early as next spring, said Himelman, who figures it will take at least 18 months to complete the project.

The planning for Summerhill Square did not come without its share of bumps in the road. After negotiating a deal with the Branciforte family, longtime owners of the Meyer’s plaza, Pagano’s plan was met with disillusionment at times from members of the Planning Board. During 10 months of hearings, board members took issue with aspects ranging from the size of the retail buildings to traffic flow on the site, requesting that the design be revised.

Among those asking for the changes was Mayor and Planning Board member William Neary, who said that a split in the retail complex was important for traffic circulation and appearance. It also would provide better access to underground infrastructure. Pagano eventually returned with a plan that split the retail center with roadway access.

Himelman said there will be 24 feet between the two buildings and that his client also agreed to install sidewalks on one side of the intersecting road “so that people can walk through comfortably.”

Pagano also agreed to other changes sought by the township, including an extension of sidewalks on Arthur Street to connect them with Summerhill Road, which runs along the rear of the shopping center property. Pagano agreed to additional landscaping throughout the site and to contribute to possible upgrades at the intersection of Route 18 and Arthur Street.

Neary, noting that the project actually comprises more retail space than was originally proposed by Pagano, said he would have preferred to see more compromising on the part of the developer. But he still believes the project is a positive for the township and a major improvement over the current vacant lot.

Township officials have estimated the retail development, once in operation, will bring East Brunswick about $1.5 million per year in property tax revenue. The site currently generates about $270,000 a year.

The project still needs a number of approvals from the state departments of environmental protection and transportation, as well as township permits, before construction can begin.

Himelman thanked the township for going “well beyond the norm” to try to work out meaningful solutions to the points of contention. He said the township, especially Neary and his administration, should be commended for their work.

“Of all the properties in East Brunswick, we were all looking to get this redeveloped,” he said.