East Brunswick Unveils Vision For Brunswick Square Mall Redevelopment

EAST BRUNSWICK – East Brunswick is preparing for Brunswick Square Mall’s transformation.

At the last meeting, the Township Council unanimously designated Brunswick Square Mall and nine neighboring properties on Route 18 as a condemnation redevelopment area.

The township aims to revitalize the area, which has suffered from recession and the shift to online shopping.

“Clearly, this is one of the biggest projects that we will have undertaken,” Mayor Brad Cohen said, noting that the project was “part of a much longer redevelopment vision that the township has had for the entire Route 18 corridor.”

Shopping malls once formed the heart of suburban communities throughout the last century. However, consumer habits have shifted dramatically with the rise of online shopping, pulling customers away from traditional retail centers.

The redevelopment plan aims to transform the Route 18 corridor from a traditional retail space to a more diverse area focused on recreation, entertainment, and services. The mayor emphasized that the current mall model doesn’t work in the 2025 environment.

According to Cohen, it was time for East Brunswick to explore how the site could be “reinvigorated to be much more productive and useful.”

Paramount Realty, which owns the 754,299-square-foot mall built in 1973, requested the township consider it for redevelopment.

In November 2024, the Township Council authorized the Planning Board to investigate whether the 10 properties qualify as a condemnation redevelopment area.

The designated properties include the mall itself, Macy’s, JC Penney, Olive Garden, Firestone Complete Auto Care, and Habit Burger (completed in 2022). Also included is a 3,700-square-foot retail building from 1960 that houses a pawn shop, pharmacy, and cigar store.

Following a Feb. 26 public hearing, the Planning Board determined that the properties meet redevelopment criteria. The report cited numerous criminal activities and significant code and zoning violations, including the storage of construction vehicles for the Route 18 improvement project.

The redevelopment designation gives the township leverage to work directly with developers to ensure the final product meets the community’s long-term strategic goals for the Route 18 corridor, rather than allowing property owners to develop independently within existing zoning laws.

During the meeting, an attorney from Habit Burger spoke on behalf of the company. Despite Habit Burger’s recent construction, a joint operating agreement connects it to the overall development plan. At both the Planning Board and Township Council meetings, Habit Burger’s attorney Robert Beckelman requested the restaurant be removed from the redevelopment area.

“I think you’re doing some great things. We think that this project is a laudable project, and we wouldn’t want to stand in the way of the overall goals,” Beckelman said. “However, we just don’t think it’s rational or legally supportable to have included the Habit Burger in this site, particularly subjecting my client and the owner to condemnation, to lose ownership of the property that this town just approved them to build two years ago.”

Later during the meeting, Cohen addressed the matter, stating the township would take it into consideration.

The redevelopment designation also allows the township to offer tax incentives to developers, which would encourage them to invest in the property, potentially offset the costs of transforming an outdated mall, and give the township more control.

The mayor specifically noted that without this designation, property owners could develop within existing zoning laws without township input. The tax incentives are a strategic tool to guide development and potentially improve the area’s long-term economic value. Any final tax incentive plan would still require council approval, giving the community a final say in the process.

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