| Author | Message | ||
     Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 5912 Registered: 1-2003  |
No! Please don't redo the Millburn Mall! I fear for Drug Fair, but more so for Tabatchnik's and the bakery! Why does everything have to be gussied up and resemble every other place in the country? | ||
| redY67 Citizen Username: Redy67 Post Number: 768 Registered: 2-2003  |
Does anyone know what happened to the produce store in the Millburn Mall? They had the greatest deal on flowers, but the last few times I have been there, they have been closed. | ||
| Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 715 Registered: 6-2003 |
I know next to nothing about the redo of Millburn Mall, but I can't imagine it would be a BAD thing. There's a really nice, clean, new Drug Fair in Westfield; why would anyone fear that ours would go away...it would probably be renovated to be like the one in Westfield. I would appreciate some nicer stores in there...maybe a Panera like the one in Short Hills, maybe even a Starbucks or similar type of upscale coffee joint....who knows? I think MM is kind of crummy...anything would be an improvement. | ||
| Wendyn Supporter Username: Wendyn Post Number: 1466 Registered: 9-2002 |
I live very close to Millburn Mall and I can't wait for it to look like it belongs in, well, Millburn. Even though it is technically in Union. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 5914 Registered: 1-2003 |
You don't think we need one cruddy old mall left? If they spruce it up, I bet the bakery and Tabatchnik's could not afford to stay. Those places are gems. Careful what you ask for. Why celebrate diversity and then try to homogenize the place? There are enough Starbuxes already. Did you know that the company owns every store? I just heard this. So they are not a local business in any sense. | ||
| AlleyGater Citizen Username: Alleygater Post Number: 156 Registered: 10-2004 |
I am with Tom on this one. Leave it be, or have the store owners clean up their storefronts. But the choice of stores are fine, and they add character to the area. Not everything has to be sanitized and new. I see Starbucks as the death of local stores. I think we had a discussion just recently about Westfield being one big shopping mall not really a town. Visit these two links and then tell me we don't have enough Starbucks. http://www.starbuckseverywhere.net/NewJersey.htm http://www.starbuckseverywhere.net/NewYorkCity.htm | ||
| Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 719 Registered: 6-2003 |
Well, I think that crummy place brings down the image of the area. It's bad enough that people coming to Maplewood have to drive past a burned-out shell of a house (in Vauxhall) and some kind of ramshackle houses along there, then they make a left and see this 1960s-era "mall" that's really a very crummy strip shopping center. I would be much more likely to GO to the MM if it were nicer; perhaps that would actually benefit Tabatchniks and the bakery. Right now it's so gross I don't want to go there; it doesn't seem safe after dark. Those stores might get more foot traffic if the place was nicer. And personally I would appreciate a Starbucks with parking, since the one in Millburn is such a nightmare to get to. | ||
| Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 720 Registered: 6-2003 |
One other thing: Westfield may have a lot of "mall" stores, but it is a very functional town, actually. Last weekend I ran a bunch of errands down there; in its downtown I was able to get some jewelry fixed at a nice old jewelry store, get some homemade candy, accompany a friend to pick up some glasses he'd ordered from an optician, and go to a movie -- all downtown without moving our car, all strolling around outdoors. That's hardly a mall. I was kind of impressed. Plus the Westfield Drug Fair isn't downtown anyway; it's across the train tracks on South St or something. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 5917 Registered: 1-2003 |
It's all moot, because the mall owner isn't asking us, and it sounds like a done deal, too. | ||
| Mark Fuhrman Citizen Username: Mfpark Post Number: 1442 Registered: 9-2001  |
I'm with Tom on this, also, even it is moot. But that mall has been sold on and off over the years and has still managed not to be mallified. I like the fact that the retailers in MM are a bit funky and not like anywhere else. Can go there for great hot dogs, bagels, lox, kosher meat--things you just don't get easily in one place around here. The ability of a new owner to renovate and the extent of the changes will depend on the nature of the existing leases. If they are all short-term (or in default), then the renovation will be soon, and we will see a lot of new stores. If some of the leases are longer term, the landlord will either buy them out, cut a deal for space in the newly spiffed up mall (with a free rent period to offset their being closed down), or renovate the facade around them while they stay open. It will also depend on whether she or he can sign new leases at higher rents so as to be able to pull in a construction loan. Lots of ways this could play out still. | ||
| shoshannah Citizen Username: Shoshannah Post Number: 796 Registered: 7-2002 |
With only $1.5 million, how much of a renovation can they do??? I don't think that's much when we're talking about a retail center with about a dozen or more stores. | ||
| Mark Fuhrman Citizen Username: Mfpark Post Number: 1444 Registered: 9-2001 |
Where did you get the figure of $1.5M from? Anyhow,you could do a lot of facelift for that. Say about $500,000 to put in new drainage and repave the parking field, and that leaves $1M to put a new canoppy on the front, new sign bands, new lighting. If they have to redo the roofs or want to do all new storefronts, however, then you are right, it may not be enough. Probably not enough parking to put in an outlot, unless they tear down the building along the river, which may be easier to do first. | ||
| shoshannah Citizen Username: Shoshannah Post Number: 797 Registered: 7-2002 |
The Star-Ledger article posted by Really Trying earlier today said $1.5 million. | ||
| Wendyn Supporter Username: Wendyn Post Number: 1467 Registered: 9-2002 |
I think an upgrade would definitely help the businesses. I never went to Sonny Amster's until someone here mentioned it. I avoid Drug Fair because it seems dirty, inside and out. I know there is supposed to be a good kosher rest there (Mosaica?) but I never consider it when I eat out. I would walk there on weekends if it were cleaner with more to offer. | ||
| mrosner Citizen Username: Mrosner Post Number: 1805 Registered: 4-2002 |
I wounder what will happen to Sids (great hot dogs). | ||
| ReallyTrying Citizen Username: Reallytrying Post Number: 607 Registered: 1-2003  |
I don't understand: why is everyone assuming stores are going to close / open at the mall? The article says it's a $1.5M redevelopment. That amount of money doesn't really go all that far. (I feel ridiculous saying that, but it's true.) The owner may be planning simply to fix up the parking lot; replace/repair the concrete sidewalks; improve the signage; perhaps a new roof is needed... I don't know; none of us knows what's planned. Let's try not to speculate or fuel rumors. | ||
| ReallyTrying Citizen Username: Reallytrying Post Number: 608 Registered: 1-2003 |
Oops - I just realized Mark Fuhrman already said pretty much what I just said. Oh, well... | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 5922 Registered: 1-2003 |
Oh, and let's keep the sign saying DRUG FA, rather than DRUG FAIR.  | ||
| Mark Fuhrman Citizen Username: Mfpark Post Number: 1445 Registered: 9-2001 |
Really Trying: Great minds think alike, except my take on it is that the $1.5M could go really far in making it look nicer. A simple new canopy with better lighting and 2" new blacktop laid down would do wonders for the place. I have done that to a number of strip centers over the years, and it makes a huge difference. Then, as you lease to new tenants or renew existing ones, you either get them to put in new storefronts, or you leverage their new lease for more debt to do it as part of the tenant improvement allowance. To justify the $1.5M the owner needs about $150,000 a year in net income above and beyond current debt service, which either means that place cash flows better now than it did about 6 years ago (when I saw a pro forma of it for a potential buyer), or the landlord will need higher rents from existing or new tenants. That is the nature of strip mall retail. And the location is somewhat challenged, so I am not sure how much demand there would be for some of the "Millburn" style tenants mentioned in this thread. Yes, there is a lot of traffic and reasonable exposure to the street. But signage is terrible (not sure if the Town would allow a bigger sign), demographics within 1 mile are not as good as downtown Maplewood or Millburn, and there is not a whole lot other retail in the nearby area. Drug Fair is not a strong anchor for Starbux or Ann Taylor or Panera. They like to be near more major traffic generators, like a strong grocery store, a good cinema, junior department store, Gap, etc. In my experience, there is always room for a local-oriented strip mall like this one where smaller local tenants and a few community-oriented national tenants can fit in--truly a convenience center, as opposed to a shopping mall. Centers like this can do quite well, look nice, and serve the community if they have a savvy owner and position themselves properly. | ||
| Michael Janay Citizen Username: Childprotect Post Number: 1731 Registered: 1-2003  |
If they used the 1.5 mil to replace the facade with faux stucco, and sealed the parking lot that place would get much better rents than it is capable of now. Then just get Trader Joes to replace Drug Fair and all of a sudden its a destination. But no one in this area likes nice places, they want to keep the $h1tholes for "character". |
