What's Next For The Mall Site? East Brunswick Officials Present Their Vision

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Township Planner Kate Keller presented a redevelopment plan for the Brunswick Square Mall site to the council Tuesday, outlining a proposal officials say is needed to satisfy a court-ordered affordable housing obligation by a Sept. 30 deadline.

Township Attorney Anthony Iacocca told the council the plan stems from the township's fourth-round affordable housing obligation under the state's Mount Laurel Doctrine, which requires every New Jersey municipality to provide its fair share of affordable housing.

"The township is bound by court orders and statutory requirement to fulfill its affordable housing obligations proactively," Iacocca said, adding that a recent court order requires the township to adopt a redevelopment plan for the mall by Sept. 30. "Adopting this plan by the September deadline ensures that the township maintains local planning control and avoids the risks and potential penalties for local governments."

The plan covers two phases of the mall property. Phase one, the "retail core," covers the existing mall building and a small adjacent commercial lot and is intended to remain retail and commercial space. Phase two, called the "mixed-use expansion," covers the Macy's parking lot and permits the same commercial uses as phase one along with limited residential development. The nearby Olive Garden lot is not proposed for change.

"As everyone here is aware, this site, since it was originally developed in the early '70s as the mall ... it's really been one of the retail centers, if not the retail center, for the township," Keller said, noting that traditional enclosed malls with large surface parking lots no longer reflect current development patterns or consumer preferences.

Under the plan, the Macy's store would be demolished and replaced with new retail space and a residential building of up to 250 units, capped at four stories and 55 feet in height. Twenty percent of the units would be set aside as affordable housing for very low-, low- and moderate-income families. The plan also calls for a new public plaza of at least 10,000 square feet, a reconfigured entrance on Rose Lane, a possible new traffic signal near Route 18, and a "green boulevard" with pedestrian paths and shade trees connecting the site.

"We want people to be able to walk from one area of this site to another, especially since people are going to be living there," Keller said.

Keller said the plan keeps most retail uses broadly permitted to allow flexibility for future tenants, while requiring high-quality building materials, landscaping, stormwater management and other sustainable design features across the site.

Business Administrator Joe Criscuolo said the township had appealed its original affordable housing number before it was finalized at 296 units, following litigation with a builders' association.

"We did appeal our numbers, and we had good rationale," Criscuolo said. "Fair Share Housing felt we had good rationale, and our attorney, Mr. Iacocca, and Joe, who was working on the case, Councilman McAvoy, and myself, and Kate all appeared in front of the judge to prove our case. As did the Builders Association."

Councilman James Wendell asked officials to walk through the approval process. Keller said the township's redevelopment agency had already recommended the plan, and next steps would include formal introduction as an ordinance, a planning board review for consistency with the township's master plan, and a second reading and public hearing before final adoption.

Council President Dana Zimbicki said the obligation stems from a Superior Court order and that neighboring towns that challenged similar mandates in court have seen their affordable housing requirements increase as a result.

"There's a lot of misinformation that people hear and believe, but that's a problem," Zimbicki said. "Certainly, look around the entire state of New Jersey. Every town is in the same predicament that we are in, every single town."

Keller noted that other portions of the mall property, including the J.C. Penney and Firestone sites, are not part of the current plan, as those tenants remain open and in place.

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