One Westfield Place, a project by Hudson’s Bay Co. and its Streetworks Development arm, calls for more than 300,000 square feet of Class A office space, 27,000 square feet of retail and 205 townhomes and apartments, along with pedestrian-friendly greenways. — Rendering courtesy: HBC
By Patricia Alex
Westfield has set the stage for more than $400 million in mixed-use redevelopment adjacent to its downtown with a plan that town leaders say will revitalize the business district and serve as a model for other mature suburbs.
Some residents have filed suit to block the plan, saying it’s too big for the well-heeled town, and a petition urging leaders to “rethink” the proposal had garnered more than 2,400 signatures through late May.
But the mayor said construction could begin early next year on portions of One Westfield Place, as the project would be known. The development would transform the seven-acre former Lord & Taylor site on North Avenue and another seven acres of commuter parking lots near the train station with office and retail space, housing, parking garages and pedestrian-friendly greenways.
“Our vision is for the downtown of the future, for a post-COVID walkable downtown,” said Mayor Shelley Brindle, a vocal proponent of the plan. “We’re very committed to the walkability and bike-ability of downtown.”
The proposal by Streetworks Development and endorsed by the town includes more than 300,000 square feet of Class A office space, 27,000 square feet of retail and 205 townhomes and apartments. Three-quarters of the housing units will be age-restricted, for those over 55. The development will include green space that better connects the north and south sides of the train station, commuter parking garages, pedestrian walkways and bike paths.
Streetworks is the redevelopment arm of Hudson’s Bay Co., a Canadian firm with a retail portfolio that includes Saks and Lord & Taylor. The company has spearheaded redevelopment of several former HBC department store properties — including those in Beverly Hills and Montreal — as trends in brick-and-mortar shopping shift. Like others, the Westfield project is a public-private partnership that would include tax exemptions for the developer.
Westfield has designated the site as an area in need of redevelopment, which gives it greater flexibility with land-use decisions, and adopted a plan that includes zoning changes to allow the project to move forward. The town council in March approved a payment in lieu of taxes or PILOT agreement with Streetworks that is expected to generate $214 million for the town over 30 years. The governing body also authorized up to $57 million in redevelopment bonds for public improvements related to the project.
Brindle stressed that no taxpayer money will be used, with proceeds from the PILOT funding the bonds that will pay for $54 million in public improvements such as green space and traffic improvements at 10 downtown intersections. She said it’s a “rare opportunity” to be able to “reimagine” 14 acres in an established downtown like Westfield.
The bones of the iconic Lord & Taylor department store will remain. There will be no big-box retail but rather small shops in keeping with the character of the downtown, proponents say. The firm that designed the successful transformation of Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan will be used to design some of the green space.
“Our aim is to make places people love,” said Doug Adams, the senior vice president of development for Streetworks. “People have an emotional connection to their downtowns.”
But skeptics say the new development will compete with — not support — the downtown.
“Most people aren’t sold on the notion that this will increase foot traffic downtown,” said Ward 3 Councilman Mark LoGrippo, who was alone on the governing body in voting against the plan. “We already have a lot of commercial space that is vacant, so people are confused as to why we need more.”
Adams said there is a demand for the modern Class A office space included in the project, since much of the current inventory is outdated, and suburbs like Westfield are attractive to companies that are reducing footprints in Manhattan. He stressed that the office space will be developed with modern amenities and sustainable materials, with plans for state-of-the-art mass timber construction.
Still, many doubt that the scale of the project is right for Westfield and its charming downtown. While there are some vacancies, the central business district has maintained a vibrant mix of retail and restaurants, and Westfield is considered among the most desirable places to live in Union County.
A group called Westfield Advocates for Responsible Development has questioned the project’s density and the town’s use of state law that allows for a redevelopment designation for “blighted” areas.
“There is no area in Westfield that should be considered blighted, that would require public subsidy for private development, especially in this residential market,” said Frank Fusaro, one of the leaders of the group, which has filed suit to block the plan.
Some critics are skeptical of studies that show that the development wouldn’t burden the school system or worsen traffic in the downtown and surrounding areas, which already can be congested. The Westfield Advocates group notes there are more than 25 developments with a combined 2,582 dwelling units either planned, under construction or newly built along the Raritan Valley rail corridor that extends from Plainfield to Roselle, with the Westfield station in between.
LoGrippo said many residents believe that redevelopment of the department store site should have proceeded without including the municipally owned commuter lots, which will be replaced largely by parking garages. The councilman argues the town undervalued the land in agreeing to sell the parking lots to Streetworks and there remains concern over “the 30-year tax abatement we’re giving the developer.”
Streetworks has revised the plans based on public feedback and has invested significant resources in community outreach, the mayor and others said. In January, HBC announced key changes such as modifications in housing type and a reduction of units, along with less office space, improved parking and traffic mitigations, while it has opened a well-appointed preview center with a model of the development in a downtown storefront on Elm Street.
The recent approvals of the project’s redevelopment and PILOT agreements also followed four years of community engagement in which HBC sought input from residents, local businesses, municipal leaders and community groups, the developer said. That includes what it calculated to be more than 7,000 public interactions across a series of information sessions, virtual listening tours, visits to its preview center and community events.
“This is really a marriage of opportunity and leadership,” said Steven Mlenak, a Roseland-based attorney and partner with Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis LLP, who has guided Westfield through the process. He said Streetworks has been attentive to the concerns of Westfield residents and has a vision “of achieving what the town has needed for a long time.”
Brindle said opposition won’t slow the project, and work could begin in early 2024. The development will be phased, with full completion slated for 2030, while stages of the plan will next need review by the town planning board.
“We’re really excited — how lucky are we to be able to partner with our largest taxpayer? They’ve been incredibly good stewards of this community and they take a long-term view,” Brindle said. “Our community is going to be in good hands for the future.”
Patricia Alex is a freelance writer in New Jersey and former reporter and editor at The Record in Bergen County.
