By Joshua Burd
A new Starbucks has opened its doors in Belleville as the latest piece of an ongoing mixed-use development by Tulfra Real Estate and The Hampshire Cos.
Representatives of the development team joined local officials and store employees in early October to mark the store’s debut at 11 Franklin Ave., part of the Park11 project at the former home of a Roche Diagnostics complex. The coffee chain occupies one of several available retail pads at the 20-acre property, at Franklin Avenue and Mill Street, which is also home to Wawa and Extra Space Storage.
Tulfra and Hampshire purchased the Park11 site in 2015 and have worked to transform the then-vacant location into a master-planned hub for the community. They completed site work in 2020, including the installation of a traffic light and roadways throughout the development.
Those on hand for the Oct. 4 ceremony included Tulfra CEO and President Sonny Jumani, Belleville Mayor Michael Melham, Deputy Mayor Thomas Graziano, Councilman Vincent Cozzarelli, Township Manager Anthony D. Iacono, Police Captain Anthony Abate, Fire Chief John Olivieri and Fire Department Administrative Secretary Jeanne Lombardi, along with Starbucks District Manager Mark Frank, Store Development Manager Lizanne Kile and Store Manager Ashley Parrish.
Tulfra, Hampshire tout momentum at Belleville site with construction loan, Starbucks lease
