Center Of Excellence Project: Public Hearing For Changes Is July 7

BRIDGEWATER, NJ —An ordinance setting certain parameters for the Center of Excellence project is in front of the Bridgewater Town Council on Thursday Night.

Residents will have a chance to express their opinion on proposed changes to the project at the site on Route 202/206.

The Center of Excellence site is near Cedarbrook Road and Old Farm Road to the north, and Mountain View Avenue and Byrd Avenue to the south.

To see the ordinance in full, click here and select item 10a.

The meeting is Thursday, July 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the courtroom located at the Municipal Complex, 100 Commons Way, Bridgewater. Virtual access is available at this link with this meeting ID: 145 265 0232.

Bridgewater and Advance Realty reached a new agreement over the project at the former Sanofi-Aventis property in June after a two-and-a-half-year legal battle.

The original plan, touted as the largest development in the township's history since the Bridgewater Commons mall, featured a hotel, supermarket, fitness/wellness center, restaurants with outdoor dining, and around 400 luxury apartment units and boutique shops.

The board approved that plan in December 2019, despite residents' pleas for them not to.

In June 2022, the township announced the new plan, which eliminates all housing, the supermarket, and the hotel.

The new settlement agreement also proposes an expansion in the life sciences/biotech building with a warehouse not to exceed 125,000 square feet per building or 300,000 square feet total in the zone. For comparison, a typical Amazon warehouse is 800,000 square feet.

Additionally, the new plan calls for 30,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space versus the 200,000 square feet initially proposed.

Mayor Matthew Moench said the retail space will most likely be tailored to employees of the life science and biotech buildings including a coffee shop and a restaurant.

To read more about the project's history, and the agreement, click here.