By DON STINE
The Marshalls and HomeGoods stores located near the Asbury Park traffic circle on Route 66 in Neptune will be moving across the highway to the Seaview Square shopping center in Ocean Township.
Construction of a large, 50,000-square-foot building, which will house the two stores, is expected to begin in June and open early next year.
“I think this is great,” Ocean Township Mayor Christopher Siciliano said.
He said revitalization plans for the mall have been ongoing for the last four years.
“It is really taking the shopping center to another level than what it was 10 years ago. More jobs, more ratables, and it is beautifying the center. It’s a win-win for Ocean Township,” he said.
Homesense and Sierra Trading Post are already located at the center. Together with the Marshalls and HomeGoods store, the mall will be one of the few shopping centers in the country with four stores all owned by The TJX Cos.
Seaview Square Mall, owned by the Wharton Realty Group, is the township’s largest shopping development at the intersection of Routes 35 and 66.
Last year a 125,900-square-foot, two-story building that once housed Steinbach’s and later Value City was razed and replaced with a 65,629-square-foot, single-story building containing three stores. Last year, Target renovated its store and Burlington has renewed its lease at the shopping center.
A new discount store Five Below should also open by June. The 10,000-square-foot store will be located between A.C. Moore and Hand & Stone. The only other large, vacant building at the mall will then be the 18,000-square-foot former Sears store which closed last year.
