The Office Depot store just opened. A 100 room Residence Inn by Marriott is also under construction at the site.
By ED SALVAS
A building boom continues in western Neptune, particularly at the Gateway Centre on Route 66 at Jumping Brook Road, where a new store just opened and two others are under construction.
In the past few weeks, the Centre has seen the groundbreaking for a Boston’s Gourmet Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar, and the opening of an Office Depot store.
Already open in the Centre are Home Depot, McDonald’s, Walgreen’s Pharmacy, and a J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. Construction is well underway on a 100-room Residence Inn by Marriott.
Developer John Shibles is working on finding tenants for the approximately 45,000 square feet of space still available in the 37-acre Centre where he originally hoped to have both Home Depot and Wal Mart. When Wal Mart chose to build on land across Route 66, Shibles was forced to change the focus of the Centre.
“I wanted Class A rated tenants,” he says, and he’s landed some of the top names in their respective fields. The Boston’s Gourmet Pizza is a growing chain of restaurants and this is the company’s first New Jersey franchise, according to franchisee Paul Pimentel, who also operates a dozen Dunkin’ Donuts franchises in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Pimentel says he hopes to open the restaurant in late September. The 15,000 square foot Walgreen’s is one of the first to feature the company’s new look according to manager Phil Bucceroni. The store offers groceries and a digital photo department in addition to the large pharmacy that’s connected by computer to every other Walgreen’s in the U.S. Office Depot Manager Joe Mancini says the store, which opened without fanfare last week and carries everything from computers to envelopes, will have a Grand Opening in August. At the Chase Bank branch, customers are greeted by tellers sitting at desks rather than behind typical “teller’s cages,” for a more customer friendly atmosphere, according to spokesman Mike Fusco, who says the Neptune branch is part of Chase’s plan for an expanded presence in New Jersey. Nadin Behan is Vice President and Manager of the Neptune office. Fusco says Chase plans on opening four more branches in the southern New Jersey area this year and is following its customers who work in New York and live in New Jersey. “Many of our customers work in New York City and use our Manhattan branches during the week. This will give them access to Chase Banking services on the weekend.” Located at the rear of the Centre, the 100-room Residence Inn by Marriott is targeted to open in the first quarter of 2007. It’s being built by the Briad Group of Livingston, and according to Steve Scharf, Briad’s Director of Development and Asset Management, the hotel will have an indoor pool, free internet access, a meeting room, exercise room and laundry. “The hotel will be targeting corporate clients, the training and relocation markets” according to Scharf, who says the hotel will cater to guests staying an average of five nights. Scharf says the Monmouth County area is currently under served by hotels and that Briad has carefully researched the market. “Our five year trend studies find very few valleys and lots of highs,” he says. That’s one reason the Briad Group is building another hotel, a 113-room Courtyard by Marriott, just three miles away at Routes 33 and 34 in Wall Township. The Courtyard by Marriott will target the leisure market with an average stay of one night. Opening is set for the last quarter of 2007.Shibles, who speaks proudly of his “family of tenants” is also looking across Route 66 where the controversial Chelsea Properties Outlet Mall is planned. Unlike others who oppose the Mall, Shibles welcomes the addition. “It will bring prosperity to the area,” he says.
Coaster Photo
Work continues on a new Bostons Gourmet Pizza Restaurant at Gateway Centre in Neptune.
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