Sunday, November 05, 2006
BY CARMEN JURI
When it was built 45 years ago, the Millburn Mall had connecting steel canopies over its sidewalks. The structure was white speckled brick and its shape was square and boxy.
Through the decades, the look never changed. Over time, the canopies began to rot and the design became dated.
"It's been circa 1960 since 1960," said Jeffrey Dash, vice president of leasing for the Lightstone Group.
The mall is in the last stages of a $2 million face-lift that began in May and is expected to be completed by month's end. The new shopping center, located in the Vauxhall section of Union on the Millburn border, will have a look of Tuscan architecture, with terra cotta walls and tiled canopies.
"It's getting much-needed TLC," Dash said.
The Lakewood-based Lightstone Group, one of the largest private real estate owners in the country, purchased the commercial strip and closed on the property in 2003, Dash said. It took two years to finalize plans before construction started in May.
"There's a potential here, a niche market," he said. "We're bringing it to the next level."
The new strip will provide more shelter for shoppers, and the terra cotta facade is intended to brighten up the shopping environment, he said. Shoppers will not be limited to shopping indoors because the future may bring outdoor retailers, such as a coffee stand.
A Staples office superstore will become the co-anchor of the mall along with Drug Fair, which has been there for over 20 years. Staples is expected to be officially open in February in an 18,000-square-foot space, Dash said.
Planters will become part of the landscape and a trellis type of lighting system will be installed, Dash said. Close to $100,000 has been spent on landscaping.
The idea is to make the mall more of a destination than a site to make a quick stop, Dash said.
"People would come in before, get a quick prescription, and go back in their car," he said.
Not all stores have remained through the renovation. The popular neighborhood eatery, Syd's, a fixture at the mall that opened in 1967, moved to nearby Springfield and merged with Tony's Place. The restaurant, on Morris Avenue, is now called Tony's Place Featuring Syd's.
Eric Niederman, owner of Syd's, said construction at the mall hurt business tremendously and when his lease ran up in October, the new owners asked for a 40 percent increase in rent.
"We were down 45 percent every day. That's a lot of money," Niederman said.
Millburn Mayor Dan Baer said the mall provides neighborhood-oriented conveniences that Millburn residents use. The Kicks and Sticks Shop, for example, is a popular spot for soccer and lacrosse equipment.
He said the face-lift is a plus for the overall quality of the area, with Vauxhall Road being an access road to Route 78 for Millburn residents.
"Certainly we're going to keep an eye out on any significant changes in traffic," Baer said. "I don't personally think we're going to see a significant growth in traffic, but from a township perspective we're keeping an eye on everything going on in that Union corridor."
ack Tarica, owner of the Maple Kosher Meat Market, has had a shop at the mall since the mall's inception. He said he welcomes the changes.
"It's going to be outstanding when it's done," said Tarica. "In two or three weeks, when things are rolling and the construction guys are done, we're gonna see some good stuff."
