John Westbrook, general manager of Menlo Park Mall, left to right; Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey; and Robert Guerra, Northeast regional vice president of Simon Property Group, break a ceramic tile to officially mark the impending start of the major renovation at Menlo Park Mall. EDISON — Shoppers at the Menlo Park Mall will start seeing some changes this spring.
Simon Property Group, the mall’s owner, will begin a substantial renovation project in April.
Simon and township officials, including Mayor Thomas Lankey, participated in a “tile-breaking” ceremony on Jan. 21 to commemorate the impending start of work, which includes both interior and exterior transformations.
“After many months of planning, we are pleased to unveil the details of this project to our fashion-forward shoppers and retailers,” said Menlo Park Mall General Manager John Westbrook in a prepared statement on the project. “Menlo Park Mall already serves as one of central New Jersey’s premier destinations for shopping, dining and entertainment. These enhancements will create a more contemporary look for the center, along with additional upgrades and amenities that will better fulfill the needs of our customers and visitors.”
One primary focus of the work is the creation of a new dining pavilion, replacing the existing food court. In addition, the mall’s Center Court will be remodeled into a social gathering area with seating, electronics charging stations and a modernized elevator. Guest Services also will be relocated to Center Court from the second floor. New seating areas will be placed throughout the mall. Simon also is overhauling entrances, bathrooms, flooring and tile. Energy-efficient lighting will be installed, and the parking garage will also receive cosmetic enhancements.
Lankey praised the efforts going into the renovations.
“Menlo Park Mall is one of Edison’s gems. For decades, this mall has been a community attraction that brings scores of people from across New Jersey in our community,” he said. “This has a significant economic trickle-down effect for many of our other retailers and food service businesses.”
Mall officials said the work schedule is designed to minimize impact on shoppers; the project is slated for November completion.
According to Simon management, the work will have no impact on traffic, including access to the mall’s roads or parking lots.
According to Simon management, the last renovation at Menlo Park Mall was in 1991. The mall contains two department stores — Macy and Nordstrom — as well as restaurants, a dine-in movie theater and 175 specialty stores.