West Orange Plaza at 235 Prospect Ave. in West Orange — Courtesy: Levin Management Corp.,
By Joshua Burd
A plan to redevelop a grocery-anchored retail center in West Orange is bearing fruit with the addition of new tenants in the pet and fitness categories and several more in the pipeline.
According to Levin Management Corp., the leasing and managing agent at West Orange Plaza, Dogtopia has debuted a 5,000-square-foot location that will provide daycare and boarding with a range of spa services. Additionally, global fitness chain Club Pilates will join the tenant lineup at 235 Prospect Ave., as a plan to update and expand the 296,500-square-foot center continues after launching late last year under the guidance of LMC’s construction team.
The multimillion-dollar, property-wide renovation followed a new lease with Target for nearly 212,000 square feet, LMC said, while the firm is negotiating another six deals totaling roughly 25,000 square feet. The activity could fill the property’s available in-line spaces as well as its new and expanded outparcel buildings that under or soon to be under construction.
“We are seeing, firsthand, the momentum that redevelopment can bring at West Orange Plaza, in the form of sustained interest among best-in-class, expanding retailers,” said LMC’s Ed Vasconcellos III, a leasing representative. “The addition of two strong, nationally recognized brands like Dogtopia and Club Pilates underscores the success of our efforts to secure this shopping center’s position as a preferred retail destination. We look forward to announcing more new leases — curated to align with evolving consumer demands and elevate the property’s appeal — in the coming months.”
Vasconcellos arranged the Dogtopia and Club Pilates leases on behalf of the joint venture that owns West Orange Plaza. JLL’s David Townes and Alana Friedman, who at the time of the transaction were with Cushman & Wakefield, represented Dogtopia, while Florian Suserman of RIPCO Real Estate represented Club Pilates.
Located just off Interstate 280 at the corner of Eagle Rock and Prospect avenues, West Orange Plaza is also home to America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Verizon and longtime staples Frank’s Pizza and My Gym, according to a news release. The center serves a three-mile population of more than 165,000 and draws more than 2.6 million visits annually, according to real-time traffic data from Placer.ai.
Other updates to the site will include common area improvements and new outparcel development, for which LMC is serving as the owner’s representative.
