Biz Briefs: Hartz Closing Outlet Space
Feb 10th, 2012 | By Greg Hazley | Category: Business, On tapIn a possible sign of decline in retail outlets, Hartz Mountain Industries has received approval from the NJ Meadowlands Commission to convert its Harmon Cove Retail Outlet property at 20 Enterprise Avenue into a warehouse by adding 15 loading areas to the front of the building facing Emerson Lane.
Hartz said in its application that attempts to increase marketing efforts to fill the retail space were unsuccessful amid a decline in such outlets over the past several years.
Hartz had to get a variance as state code prohibits loading areas in the front yards of properties. It plans to demolish the second floor of the existing 98,984-square-foot outlet mall space and combine it with a similar amount space on the first floor to become a warehouse in the existing building.
Hartz said the building will be divided into multiple warehouse tenants. It currently has two warehouse tenants at the north side of the building with the retail outlet at the south side.
The NJMC, which said the revamp will not adversely affect neighboring properties nor will it create “any negative visual impacts,” said no comments or objections were raised on the project.
East West Bridals, which operates a retail busines out of the 20 Enterprise site, has submitted a proposal with Hartz to the NJMC to operate its retail business out of 40 Enterprise Ave., which is currently zoned for industrial use and not retail.
HOSPITAL CLEARS HURDLE: Meadowlands Hospital’s plan to build on 81,000 square feet to its existing building on Meadowlands Parkway cleared a regulatory hoop as the Meadowlands Commission has ruled the site unsuitable for residential use, making it expempt from affordable housing guidelines.
The hospital plans to add to the third, fourth and fifth floors of the structure, as well as a level of parking on the property.
With the residential ruling handed down, the zoning application for the additions proceeds for review.
NEW BUILD: Tire re-treading and repair company Custom Bandag at 1151 Paterson Plank Road (the blue and yellow building across from the Mausam Indian restaurant) has applied to build a new 28,345-square-foot building on the site.
The company is asking the NJ Meadowlands Commission for a variance from code which requires maximum lot coverage at 40 percent. Custom Bandag wants to cover 45.3 percent of the lot with the new building.
A 10 a.m. public hearing is set for Feb. 14 at the commission’s headquarters in Lyndhurst.
MOVE: New Boston Fund and Prism Capital Partners said they have leased 21,333 square feet of office space at their One Harmon Plaza building in Secaucus to private label apparel products marketer Delta Galil Industries.
The company is relocating from nearby 150 Meadowlands Parkway, which is owned by Willett Companies.
One Harmon Plaza, adjacent to the Crown Plaza Hotel, is undergoing a $4.5M renovation and includes 192,000-square-feet office property. Micro Excel and JP Morgan Chase Bank are other tenants there.
Loading ...
That’s because there’s no real savings to be had in outlets vs. regular stores. And if there are savings, the products are crap. That said, it is sad to see that place go. I remember going there with my family when I was a kid.
Outlet centers have seen their day, like Syms and other discount stores; it’s an outmoded business model.
I pretty much knew the writing was on the way back in the summer when the stores began to close one by one.
And getting to the newsbrief aboive about Meadowlands ADDING beds…
The state of NJ has a SURPLUS of beds!!!!!
WHY are they expanding?? How is this permissible?
I do not believe that hospital is anywhere near 100% occupancy — the state had plans on closing hospitals due to the surplus of beds. There was a list of hospitals recommended for closing…but as times would have it, more than several of the mandated facilities on that list have since closed anyway.
There may be a surplus of beds throughout the state, but did you ever stop to think that we live near one of the most densely populated areas in the country??????
There are probably hospitals with dozens of empty rooms north, west, and south of here.
Every time I’ve been to Meadowlands, especially the ER, it seems overcrowded to me…..
The Secaucus outlets have very little stores that interest shoppers. You want to see an “outlet” mall done right? Check out Bergen Towne Center in Paramus. Always packed and filled with stores people actually want to shop at. Throw in a Whole Foods and Target and it is a recipe for success. Additionally, it was designed to look like a classy place to shop opposed to what Xanadu looks like.
Anyone know when the Outlet Mall will close???
Rich: those stores in Towne Center are stores that people WANT to shop in.
The “Fifth Street Mall” has been dead for quite awhile. There’s nothing in there that I want to buy; the only useful stores were the ones that closed first, back in the early fall.
Voice of Reason: Paterson is very densely poplulated; I very much doubt St. Joe’s is at 100% capacity, even with the recent expansion.
And there are a glut of hospitals, densely populated area we live in, or not. Meadowlands was never the hospital of choice.
The Secaucus Outlet Center,formaly known as The Harmon Cove Outlet Center.. was a very good place to shop about 25 yrs ago..I have seen stores come and go,I personally feel that the Harmon Cove Outlet Center was poorly managed…Why on earth would the Leasing Department put another house wares store selling dishes ect: when there is Lenox,they put Nortoki,and you had Onida not a good idea..not to mention other crapy stores they have put there as some stores have left..I feel that there wasn’t enough thought when it came to renting the spaces in the mall…Hartz however only thinks about money,because they have plenty of it,and they don’t care about the people that are going to lose their jobs,because they feel the the day for outlet shopping has out grown it’s self..And let me also mention the fact that they are bulding homes on meadowlands parkway,where the Outlets at the cove was,when meadowlands parkway floods,how on earth did they mamage to get tht done,hummmmm I do wonder..Well I know how people with money work,and I will say it’s not for anything or anyone but themselves..well good luck to Hartz,because God don’t like ugly,and Karma is a Bitch,and one day it will come back and bite them right in the ass..
Outlet stores/company stores are a dying business model.
Thank off price stores like a Marshall’s for that.
I still miss the old Mill Creek Mall. I believe that was demolished and replaced with 4 big box stores because shopper trends allegedly has it that nobody wants to shop in a “cave” anymore.
I liked the stores at Mill Creek Mall — and there were also many people who went in there to eat lunch and shop during lunch hour at work.
Jersey Girl: I would not want to live in a neighborhood like that one — there’s a hotel on one side, a TV station on the other, a busy roadway to the east and to the south, a parking deck. If you have small kids, I think that’s the last place you’d want to live. Nowhere for a small kid to play.
And to be a bit off topic, getting back to the mall and Enterprise Avenue: Wow…when Bed, Bath and Beyond moves into that building accross the street, I imagine that that facility will operate on all 3 shifts. I’d hate to be a 5th Street resident or live in the immediate area on Mansfield Avenue.
Has anybody seen those 2 warehouses? They’re GARGANTUAN! There’s room back there for at least 300 cars.
Hi only in Secaucus,
No one really knows when the 5th street mall is closing,from what I have heard as soon as the
the Dollar Plus store and East West Bridals leaves they will start to demolish that one side of the mall,however you still have the BonWorth Store on that level.So no one has any answers.Yes I have seen thoses two big giant warehouses,because I shop at Carters and the Childrens Place,and Legs Hanes Bali.So your guess is as good as mine…We all are wondering WHEN!!!!!!
I’ll agree that that mall has gotten pretty junky. Who the heck shops in Worth?
It was useful when Marty’s, Bannister Shoes and the Reebok place was there, and when Liz Claiborne had the outlet store. .I can’t figure out who shops in there anymore.