Woodbridge Mayor To Gov: Allow Woodbridge Center Mall To Open

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac joined a coalition of New Jersey mayors this week to call on Gov. Phil Murphy to allow malls and other hubs of commerce to reopen.

It is entirely possible for Woodbridge Center Mall to safely reopen, argued McCormac, a Democrat. It is past time for Woodbridge Center, and all malls in the state, to reopen, he said.

"Woodbridge Center Mall, one of New Jersey's largest indoor malls, can provide for proper social distancing which will keep patrons and employees safe," said McCormac.

All the mayors have large indoor malls that are central to their towns' economies:

Bridgewater Mayor Matthew Moench, Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage (Jersey Gardens), Paramus Mayor Rich LaBarbiera (where Bergen Town Center and New Jersey's largest mall, Westfield Garden State Plaza, are located) and Wayne Mayor Chris Vergano (Willowbrook).

"Bridgewater Commons Mall is the cornerstone of the commercial sector and employs hundreds of our residents and residents of surrounding municipalities," said Mayor Moench. "In addition to the enormous local impact, Bridgewater Township will be unable to collect revenue associated with our profit sharing with the Bridgewater Commons, resulting in higher property taxes and more financial burdens on our residents."

"At some point any reopening will be too late," warned Moench. "We demand action."

"Willowbrook Mall is the largest taxpayer in our community and having them closed for so long is hurting our economy severely," added Vergano.

"Jersey Gardens provides millions of dollars in revenue to the city while providing for hundreds of jobs for our residents," said Bollwage.