Malboro-based Pierson Commercial said Thursday it was named the exclusive leasing agent of Hazlet Town Center, a 203,912-square-foot shopping center situated within the prominent Route 35 Hazlet/Middletown retail market.

Located at the main intersection of Route 35 and Bethany Road in Hazlet, the shopping center is owned by a joint venture between Onyx Equities and Siguler Guff & Co. and has undergone an extensive façade renovation and repositioning associated with new tenant additions since being acquired by the group.

“While the retail market continues to evolve, one trend that has stayed consistent is the desire for quality product. The recent improvements at Hazlet Town Center have turned the historically well-occupied center into the most desirable shopping center along the Route 35 retail corridor from Hazlet to Middletown,” said Gregg Medvin, vice president of Pierson Commercial who is spearheading the leasing team.

According to Medvin, this section of Hazlet Town Center will feature contiguous storefront spaces, large outdoor dining areas and abundant parking that take into account the new environment in which dining and carryout establishments have been forced to operate.

“It will be ideal for full-service and take-out restaurants as well as quick-service concepts because of its attractive outdoor patio seating allocated in front of the restaurants,” he said.

The center’s repositioning efforts and leasing activity recently gained traction with the addition of Aldi and Burlington as the Hazlet Town Center’s new anchor tenants. The center’s broad growing tenant mix includes Planet Fitness, Bank of America, Quest Diagnostics and Great Clips with Panera Bread and Wawa coming soon.

Originally constructed in 1970, the former Kmart Plaza has been undergoing extensive redevelopment and rebranding since being acquired by the new ownership. “The re-tenanting has been particularly successful due to unparalleled market positioning – geographically, demographically and with prime cross street access leading to the residential neighborhoods of the Hazlet, Holmdel, Colts Neck and Matawan communities,” said Matthew Flath, vice president of asset management at Onyx Equities.