An aerial view of the Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne — Courtesy: JMF Properties
By Joshua Burd
A joint venture has added a national fitness operator and a grocery chain to its tenant mix at a development in Bayonne, the largest of five newly announced retail leases at the site.
The developers, RD Management LLC and JMF Properties, announced last week that they have signed leases totaling nearly 90,000 square feet at the project known as Harbor View Marketplace, part of the city’s former Military Ocean Terminal. The commitments include:
- 35,117 square feet by Lidl
- 35,008 square feet by LA Fitness
- 14,698 square feet by CVS Pharmacy
- 2,415 square feet by Starbucks
- 1,573 square feet by Posh Nails & Beauty Lounge
Each business is slated to open in the third quarter, according to a news release. The deals are part of the second phase of what’s known as Harbor View Marketplace, a 240,780-square-foot retail complex at Route 440 and Goldsborough Drive, which is anchored by a Costco Wholesale store that opened last March.
RD Management and JMF broke ground in October on the latest phase and on ScenicVue, a 651-unit residential portion developed in partnership with Accurate Builders. The properties will occupy a 14-acre swath of the former terminal site.
“Once complete, Harbor View Marketplace and ScenicVue will serve as a premier destination for the residents and visitors of Bayonne looking to take a break from the city,” said Richard Birdoff, principal and president of RD Management. “We, alongside JMF Properties, are thrilled to welcome such a diverse mix of national tenants and believe this live-work-play development will fulfill the community’s lifestyle needs.”
In announcing the deals, the developers cited the project site’s busy location only 500 yards from New Jersey Turnpike Exit 14A. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail 34th Street Station is across the street, making the center easily accessible by transit.
They also pointed to the recently expanded Cape Liberty Port, which is located directly behind Harbor View Marketplace and has the second-largest passenger volume among Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coast ports.
“This is a well-connected neighborhood with a fast-growing retail and residential presence, one that will certainly be enhanced by these five new retail tenants,” said Joseph Forgione, the founder and principal of JMF Properties. “Lidl, LA Fitness, CVS Pharmacy, Starbucks, and Posh Nails & Beauty Lounge comprise an excellent retail mix that will attract new shoppers to this community, and also serve as a convenient, walking-distance amenity for future rental residents and ferry commuters. Along with our partner, RD Management, we are happy to introduce these businesses to the Bayonne market and we look forward to the continued growth of this incredible waterfront property.”
