The new Bounce Air Adventure Park at Rutgers Plaza at 940 Easton Ave. in Franklin Township will include a ropes course, climbing structures, a ninja obstacle course, a trampoline area, ball pits, a mini basketball court and a jungle gym with slides, as well as dedicated space for parties and group events. — Renderings courtesy: Levin Management Corp.
By Joshua Burd
A new indoor play park is coming to Franklin Township after signing a lease at the busy Rutgers Plaza retail center, in a deal arranged by Levin Management Corp.
According to a news release, Bounce Air Adventure Park will occupy 21,000 square feet at the grocery-anchored, 268,000-square-foot property at the junction of Easton Avenue and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. The space will include a ropes course, climbing structures, a ninja obstacle course, a trampoline area, ball pits, a mini basketball court and a jungle gym with slides, as well as dedicated space for parties and group events.
LMC Leasing Representative Ed Vasconcellos represented ownership in the lease. Robert Elbaz of Sholom & Zuckerbrot Realty represented the tenant, which is led by a regional retail operator that is expanding into the experiential retail category, combining entertainment and hospitality in a family-focused setting.
“Experiential tenants like this bring tremendous energy to a shopping center,” Vasconcellos said. “Bounce Air Adventure Park will be a wonderful complement to Rutgers Plaza’s existing retail, dining and service lineup, and will further establish the property as a family-friendly community destination.”
Levin, the longtime leasing and managing agent for Rutgers Plaza, said the center draws roughly 1.8 million annual visits, citing data from Placer.ai., and serves a growing residential population of more than 277,000 within a five-mile radius. Some 36,000 vehicles pass the property each day, the firm added, noting that the strong demographics and traffic patterns underscore its appeal to both national and regional retailers.
The location is also less than a mile from Rutgers University and serves as a key retail hub for the surrounding Somerset County area.
“LMC continues to welcome more family-focused and experiential tenants across its retail portfolio,” said Matthew K. Harding, the real estate services firm’s CEO. “These uses enhance the customer experience, strengthen property traffic and align perfectly with how today’s consumers are choosing to spend their time and money.”
Stop & Shop anchors Rutgers Plaza, which also has a strong mix of national and local tenants such as Crunch Fitness and Dollar Tree, the news release said. Recent updates include a newly built McDonald’s and an expanded Venus Jewelers in a new, modern store.
