Montgomery Promenade Developer Plans to Break Ground in January, with a Grand Opening in Summer 2024

By Barbara A. Preston | Sunday, October 2, 2022

A developer plans to break ground in January on the 54-acre wooded meadow next to Princeton Airport in Montgomery Township. Plans for a mall on this site have been before the Montgomery Planning Board for more than 15 years — mostly by Madison Marquette (the national firm behind the re-development of Asbury Park).

It is Georgia-based developer SJC Ventures, however, who will move forward with a two-phase construction of Montgomery Promenade, a 292,700-square-foot center featuring retail, restaurants, housing, and community park space on Route 206.

The architect's new rendering of Montgomery Promenade, to be located next to Princeton Airport near the Route 206/518 intersection.

The new center will be anchored by a Whole Foods Market grocery store and will include a residential element of 34 small single-family homes. Confirmed restaurant tenant leases include: Tim McLoone’s dual concept restaurants Iron Whale and The Robinson Ale House; Kirk Ruoff’s award winning breakfast/lunch concept Turning Point Restaurant; and a "barbeque" restaurant called More Than Q, that serves up smoked meats with seasonal southern sides.

Other confirmed tenants include:

European Wax Center. EWC is a public company — NASDAQ: EWCZ — co-founded by David Coba, who started the business in Florida with his brother Joshua. The company now has more than 900 centers with a full suite of waxing services as well as a proprietary line of beauty products in the skincare, body, and brow categories, according to PR Newswire. The company is based in Plano, Texas.

Spavia Day Spa. A"luxurious spa experience at an affordable price," Spavia locations offer massages, facials and skin care, body wraps and scrubs, waxing, lash extensions, and make-up. The first Spavia opened in 2005 in Denver, Colorado. In late 2021, Spavia opened its 52nd location, with an additional 40 locations under development. The 52 spas are currently open in 23 states.

Norman’s Hallmark. A gift shop — founded by Dave Norman, who opened a single store in Trenton in 1939. The Trenton location closed in 2012, in response to a "declining customer base in the city," according to an article in The Times of Trenton. The company added locations in malls and shopping centers and now has nearly 70 locations. Norman's is the nation’s largest independent owner of Gold Crown Hallmark stores.

New York City’s Dor L Dor women’s apparel. Dor L' Dor is a family-owned small business that has grown from a one shop boutique to an emerging brand with seven locations throughout New York and New Jersey, according the company's website. The shops offer selective styles at the lowest possible prices.

Justin Latone, senior vice president of leasing at SJC Ventures, adds: “We are actively pre-leasing for this space and have all contractors in place. We are still seeking high end shops, services and additional dining for Montgomery Promenade to round out the carefully curated tenant lineup in place.”

Montgomery Promenade site plan with confirmed tenants, and some proposed tenants as of March 24. Click map to enlarge.

Possible tenants, according to the project map available online, include: Ulta, Terra Momo Restaurant Group, Kiddie Academy, Panera Bread Company, Chipotle, Breathing Dragon Hot Yoga, Heart+Paw,

Read related story: Montgomery Promenade Hopes to Break Ground Soon on Route 206.

SJC Ventures, an Atlanta based commercial development firm, specializes in mixed-use communities and has developed similar projects throughout the eastern United States. The project will be constructed in two phases. Phase I will be 11 restaurant/retail buildings containing approximately 162,200 square feet and 29 residential dwellings. Phase II will be five buildings containing approximately 125,500 square feet and five residential dwellings.

Montgomery Promenade will feature park space for walking, dedicated open green spaces, outdoor dining, and restaurants. The developer is planning new infrastructure to promote walkability and support existing and new traffic patterns plus great amenities.

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“We’ve enjoyed being deeply engaged with the community to create a truly special and transformative project,” said Garrison. “The future of commercial space is looking beyond what the traditional mall used to be and creating centers of engagement where people can gather and work, dine and enjoy entertainment all in one place. Montgomery Promenade will be a sustainable catalyst for future investment in this area and a wonderful asset for the community.”

Route 518/206 Construction Projects

Montgomery Promenade will join the following projects near the busy intersection at routes 206 and 518.

• Montgomery's Village Shopper Makes Way for the New Village Walk — The new Village Walk at Montgomery is underway at 1330-1340 Route 206 near the Route 518 intersection. Dubbed "Downtown Montgomery," the mixed-use center is being developed by Pugliese Properties, which also owns the adjacent Village Shoppes (Wells Fargo Bank, Mooyah, Princeton Pediatrics, and more.) The project includes 52 apartments on the second and third floors and commercial space on the first floor. The 54,756-square-foot development will includes a drive-thru Starbucks, a spa, a yoga studio, and more.

• Pugliese Properties is in the process of building a loop road to alleviate traffic congestion at the busy 518-206 intersection.

Across the street from the Village Walk, Van Cleef Associates is building 115 apartments (24 affordable plus 92 market price).

Montgomery Crossing, behind Village Walk, will have 107 townhouses. It will also have 40 two-bedroom condominium units in one building.