Whole Foods, other tenants announced for long-awaited Montgomery Promenade
MONTGOMERY – The long-awaited Montgomery Promenade on Route 206 is scheduled to begin construction in January, with the first businesses to open in summer 2024.
SJC Ventures, an Atlanta-based national developer of mixed-use projects, has also announced the first tenants for the center on the west side of the highway just south of the Route 518 intersection.
Retail tenants include Whole Foods, New York City’s Dor L Dor women’s apparel, More Than Q, European Wax Center, Spavia and Norman’s Hallmark.
Confirmed restaurant leases include Tim McLoone’s dual concept restaurants Iron Whale and The Robinson Ale House, and Kirk Ruoff’s breakfast/lunch concept Turning Point Restaurant.
“We are actively pre-leasing for this space and have all contractors in place,” said Justin Latone, senior vice president of leasing at SJC Ventures. “We are still seeking high-end shops, services and additional dining for Montgomery Promenade to round out the carefully curated tenant lineup in place.”
For more than a decade, a shopping center has been proposed for the 54-acre site. SJC has taken over the project from the original developer, Madison Marquette.
SJC has received planning board approval to construct 281,829 square feet of commercial space and 34 single-family detached homes that buffer the existing homes on Route 518 and the new shopping center.
The project will be constructed in two phases. Phase I will be 11 mixed-use/retail buildings containing approximately 162,200 square feet and 29 residential dwellings. Phase II will be five mixed-use/retail buildings containing approximately 125,500 square feet and five residential dwellings.
Another feature of the plan is a loop road to be constructed by the developer to alleviate traffic congestion at the routes 518-206 intersection.
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“We’re extremely pleased to be able to bring this project to fruition after working with community leaders and stakeholders to get it right for quite some time. The product that came from that intensive collaboration is something the community can be extremely proud of,” said Jeff Garrison, partner at SJC Ventures.
The shopping center and homes are part of the township's vision to create a "downtown" for the suburban municipality at the intersection.
SJC has developed similar projects throughout the eastern United States. The firm specializes in transforming urban core parcels into active centers of communities.
Montgomery Promenade will feature palisades for walking, dedicated open green spaces and outdoor dining restaurants. The focal point of the Promenade will be a one-acre outdoor community space that can host public events.
“We’ve enjoyed being deeply engaged with the community to create a truly special and transformative project,” said Garrison. “The future of commercial space is looking beyond what the traditional mall used to be and creating centers of engagement where people can gather and work, dine and enjoy entertainment all in one place. Montgomery Promenade will be a sustainable catalyst for future investment in this area and a wonderful asset for the community.”
The Montgomery Promenade is the latest project in the construction boom around the routes 518-206 intersection.
Under construction is Village Walk, the redevelopment of Village Shoppes I & II. The mixed-use center is being developed by Pugliese Properties, which also owns and manages the adjacent Village Shoppes at Montgomery shopping center which was completely renovated and redeveloped in 2014.
Village Walk will have three one-story commercial buildings and a single three-story mixed commercial residential structure. The mixed-use building includes 52 residential apartments on the second and third floors and commercial space on the first floor. The total commercial space of the development is 54,756 square feet. The development will also include a drive-thru Starbucks.
Pugliese Properties will also build a loop road to alleviate traffic congestion at the routes 518-206 intersection.
Across the highway, north of the Montgomery Shopping Center, under construction are 115 apartments, of which 92 are market-rate rental units and 23 are affordable rental units, within two buildings.
Also under construction on Route 518 across from the Promenade site and behind Village Walk is Montgomery Crossing with 107 townhouses and 40 two-bedroom condominium units in one building.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Montgomery Promenade names Whole Foods, other tenants
