Following last year's approval for Target to take over a former Kmart space at West Orange Plaza , the shopping center will undergo additional upgrades and expand its footprint.
Levin Management Corp. plans to enlarge the Whole Foods-anchored retail property at 235 Prospect Ave. from 296,500 square feet to 311,500 square feet through a multiphase plan. According to the Plainfield-based company's Oct. 8 announcement, the multimillion modernization effort is already underway.
The initial work will renovate and expand the 32-acre property's main building for the new Target store. That effort and related site improvements are slated to wrap up in fall 2025. LMC said the national retail chain leased 211,500 square feet at West Orange Plaza.
Set for a fall 2024 start, other Phase 1 attributes include new, ground-up construction of an 8,400-square-foot building as well as a 5,500-square-foot addition to an existing outparcel structure, Levin said. The project is scheduled for completion by late 2026.
Overall, West Orange Plaza is approved for approximately 38,000 square feet of total new construction, according to the firm.
“As one of the country’s most desirable anchor tenants, Target will add vibrancy and economic activity both to West Orange Plaza and the surrounding community,” said LMC Vice President of Leasing Sidney Singer. “At a time when available shopping center space is limited for new construction, West Orange Plaza’s enviable demographics and ability to accommodate Target’s needs in an existing former Kmart space created the ideal leasing scenario.”
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Shopping list
Other West Orange Plaza tenants include:
- America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses
- Chipotle
- Jersey Mike’s Subs
- Verizon
- Frank’s Pizza (30 years)
- My Gym (18 years)
- Dogtopia a provider of dog day care, boarding and spa services coming soon
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Located off of Interstate 280, at the corner of Eagle Rock and Prospect avenues, West Orange Plaza serves a 3-mile population of nearly 63,000 households with an average annual income of approximately $178,500, according to Levin. That's above
the municipality's overall annual income figure ($127,931 ).
Placer.ai identifies West Orange Plaza as a "Top 5 Shopping Center" in Essex County. According to the location analytics company, the community shopping center recorded upwards of 151,000 visits last month. Annually, the center draws more than 2.6 million visits, Levin said also citing Placer.ai.
With comprehensive changes underway across the property,Levin says the updates are already generating interest.
Other projects include: access, circulation and parking improvements; new signage; upgraded landscaping and facades; and new lighting. Plans also incorporate infrastructure to support EV charging stations.
LMC said West Orange Plaza's joint venture ownership collaborated on the vision, planning and execution of the redevelopment effort.As an owner's representative, the firm's in-house construction management team oversees construction, including common area improvements and new outparcel development, the company said.
According to LMC,
West Orange Plaza currently offers up to 14,000 square feet of inline space and an existing 7,625-square-foot pad site. Additionally, new development opportunities range from 1,600 square feet to 8,400 square feet.
LMC maintains a diversified, retail-focused leasing and management portfolio of 125 properties totaling more than 16 million square feet in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
Along Route 22, Blue Star Shopping Center in Watchung started redevelopment efforts on the heels of
a new lease agreement with ShopRite . At that 420,000-square-foot LMC-managed and leased property, the supermarket will relocate to a new, ground-up store. After, LMC plans to reconfigure the old store, along with other center-wide updates.
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