Somerset Shopping Center at 345B Route 202/206 in Bridgewater — Courtesy: Levin Management Corp.
By Joshua Burd
A new Fortunoff Backyard Store is coming to a 219,000-square-foot retail center in Bridgewater, under a newly announced transaction by Levin Management Corp.
In a news release, the real estate services firm said the patio and outdoor furniture chain is leasing 9,400 square feet at the Somerset Shopping Center. The new location at the junction of Route 202/206 and Route 28 comes as part of the retailer’s ongoing regional expansion, while helping to backfill a space previously housing Pier 1 Imports.
LMC Senior Leasing Representative Vanessa Fernandez-Kelty represented ownership as the center’s leasing and managing agent, while Jake Frantzman of Ripco Real Estate represented the tenant.
“Fortunoff Backyard Store will open at Somerset Shopping Center just in advance of the spring buying season, and we are pleased to have been able to meet their timing needs,” Fernandez-Kelty said. “The condition of the space enabled a turnkey delivery. Fortunoff has plans for a full renovation of the space later in the year.”
The Fortunoff brand returned to the New York and New Jersey market with the opening of seven Fortunoff Backyard Store locations in February 2010, according to a news release. There are now more than two dozen locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Pennsylvania, offering a range of higher-end outdoor and patio furniture and on-site specialists to offer design advice and expertise.
In Bridgewater, it will open alongside tenants such as Christmas Tree Shops, Barnes & Noble, Gap, Pearl Vision and Norman’s Hallmark, among others.
“Fortunoff Backyard Store is a well-recognized and very strong brand, and a perfect match for Somerset Shopping Center,” Fernandez-Kelty added. “As homeowners prepare to spend more time relaxing and entertaining outdoors, the addition of Fortunoff Backyard Store is an exciting add for area residents.”
