Target back in at Epicentre

By Kathy Baratta

Staff Writer

MANALAPAN — Just when they thought a retailer was out, they pulled them back in.

Steiner Equities, the developer of the Manalapan Epicentre under construction on Route 9 south at Symmes Drive, appeared before the Planning Board last week to amend its application to include a Target department store.

At an earlier stage in the development of the Epicentre, Target, a national department store headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., had been mentioned as a tenant.

About a year ago, Target apparently dropped out of the plans.

Now back in the fold, Target will be one of three anchor stores to be constructed at the site.

The department store giant will join Nobody Beats The Wiz and Wegman’s supermarket at the Epicentre. Those three stores will comprise about 75 percent of the project, according to Ron Gasiorowski, the attorney representing Steiner Equities.

Gasiorowski said Target will be built at the northwest corner of the site, across from the Monmouth County Library Headquarters on Symmes Drive.

A Value City department store has been open and operating at the former site of the Manalapan Mall for several years, joined recently by an Applebee’s restaurant.

Upon its completion, the Epicentre will be a 460,000-square-foot retail center consisting of the four large stores, approximately 20 smaller retail stores and two restaurants. An access road is expected to connect the Epicentre with the neighboring Grand Union shopping center at Route 9 and Craig Road.

In conjunction with the construction of the Epicentre, Steiner Equities has already built and opened a commuter parking lot on Symmes Drive.