New plans for the shopping center in Closter called Closter Plaza were submitted to the town bord in the fall of 2013. The shopping center will be a major anchor for Closter and will provide several new shopping opportunities to Closter residents. The board overseeing the project also hopes that the shopping center will be a draw for shoppers outside of Bergen County.
The major anchor in the plaza will be Whole Foods, the organic-geared mega food store which has locations around New Jersey but not yet in Closter. The new shopping center will feature over forty retailers, all of which will be geared toward Bergen County’s key demographics. The county, which is one of the most sought after in the state and in the greater New York City region at large, has an average household income of $144,917 per year.
At present, the shopping center has five buildings, which in the new plans will be trimmed down to four. The four buildings will all be centralized into one unit. The land itself, which is presently sixteen acres in size, will remain the same, albeit with a new layout due to the new construction.
The overall appearance of the new shopping center will be polished, with brick and glass facades providing a varied look for different areas while still maintaining an overall cohesiveness across the entire shopping center. The shopping center will not be enclosed like a mall, but rather will provide outdoor access to individual stores.
Closter Plaza was previously owned by Aspi and Bakhtaver Irani. New development for the plaza had been attempted in the past but was delayed due to the ownership. The property then went into bankruptcy and was ultimately obtained by Edens & Avant. Edens & Avant are South Carolina based mall developers that focus on creating shopping centers within communities in across the United States. Based on the deal struck for the site, Edens & Avant will act as a managing partner and will hold a fifty-percent interest in the shopping center.
Predictions from town board members are that the new life to be brought into Closter Plaza will be a benefit to Closter at large. The expectation is that the shopping opportunities available at the plaza will draw shoppers from surrounding areas to Closter. The shopping plaza is also an asset for those who might be considering a move to Closter.
Closer is located in New Jersey’s Bergen County, which is one of the nation’s most sought after real estate destinations. Bergen County boasts some of the top schools in the United States and several vibrant communities. Bergen County’s biggest selling point for many of the professionals who choose to move their families to the area is its proximity to New York City, where many of the upper-middle class residents of Bergen County are employed. Bergen County’s communities are a short drive from the George Washington Bridge, which provides direct access to New York City’s busy Manhattan borough.