New ShopRite signals redevelopment efforts at Blue Star Shopping Center

ShopRite has been a tenant at the 420,000-square-foot Blue Star Shopping Center in Watchung since 1980, a residency that will continue after the supermarket signed a new lease at the property.

The Village Supermarkets-operated grocery store entered into a new, 72,000-square-foot lease to relocate at the retail center located on Route 22, Levin Management Corp. announced May 24.

Plainfield-based LMC, the management and leasing agent for Blue Star Shopping Center, said the transaction signals the next chapter for the site, which it is working to redevelop, renovate and re-tenant.

ShopRite will move to a new location, operating from its existing spot in the interim. Ground-up development for the larger store is expected to begin this summer, according to LMC, which secured land use approvals for the project.

Once ShopRite is in its new location, LMC says it will reconfigure the vacated store to accommodate multiple tenants. Other changes planned for the shopping center include: façade and common area updates, extensive landscaping redesign, the addition of outdoor seating, new lighting, parking lot refurbishments and infrastructure to support EV charging stations.

LMC did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding ShopRite’s current footprint at the property or the occupancy rate for the center.

“Blue Star Shopping Center has long served as a preeminent Somerset County shopping destination,” said Maxim Gagneron, LMC’s vice president of construction and development, in a statement. “We are thrilled to unveil the details of its bright future, centered on the addition of this state-of-the-art ShopRite. It is always gratifying to work with long-term tenants to accommodate their evolving needs. The end result will be a source of pride for property ownership, every Blue Star tenant and the entire community.”

Serving a population of more than 254,000 people within a 5-mile radius, according to LMC, Kohl’s and Marshalls also serve as anchors at the property located between Terrill and Bonnie Burn roads. The tenant lineup includes other recognizable operators Dollar Tree, The Children’s Place, Roma Salon, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, TGI Friday’s, Five Guys, Wendy’s and Arby’s.

The center draws more than 2.6 million visits annually, according to real time traffic data from Placer.ai cited by LMC.