Quaker Bridge Mall Renovations Underway

Those closings mark the beginning of a long-awaited renovation and expansion of the 1-million-square foot mall, which will grow to 1.6 million square feet when the project is completed in the next few years.

Demolition work inside the mall is expected to begin next month, upon the receipt of permits and approvals from the Lawrence Township Construction Department, said Lynda Benedetto, the mall’s general manager.

The Quaker Bridge Mall will continue to be open during the renovation and expansion, Ms. Benedetto said. The work will be handled so it does not affect shoppers, she said. A timetable for the project has not been finalized, she added.

”(The goal) is to deliver a beautiful new mall,” said Ms. Benedetto.

”This renovation will better serve the needs of our customers, whether they come here to shop, dine, to be entertained or just to enjoy a welcoming and comfortable environment,” she said. “This transformation will be attractive to current and prospective tenants.”

The renovation includes the redesign of the mall entrances, updated signage and landscaping, and comfortable seating areas inside the mall, she said. New floors and ceilings are planned, as well as a redesign of the handrails to include glasswork instead of rails.

The plans also include replacing the escalators in the Macy’s court, and additional escalators will be installed in the J.C. Penney court. A new elevator is planned for the Lord & Taylor court. New restrooms also are in the works.

One of the first projects that will get underway is to relocate the food court from the first floor of the mall to the second floor, near the Old Navy store, Ms. Benedetto said. The Old Navy store is being remodeled, and the food court might occupy some of that space. The former food court on the first floor will be reconfigured to accommodate stores.

Ms. Benedetto said some stores will be leaving the mall and others will be opening, but declined to identify the new stores.

However, Coach — which features handbags — has already opened up in the mall. It is among the upgraded stores that the Simon Property Group, which owns the property, plans to bring to the mall.

Work also is slated to begin on the construction of a Cheesecake Factory, which will be built on the west side of the mall — facing Route 1 — between Macy’s and J.C. Penney and adjacent to one of the mall entrances. It is expected to open later this year.

There will be an entrance into the 9,100-square-foot restaurant from within the mall and from the parking lot. There will be valet parking for patrons, but the location of the reserved spaces for the valet parking service has not been determined.

The Cheesecake Factory, which will have 229 indoor seats and 64 outdoor seats, offers a 200-item menu that ranges from appetizers, pizza and seafood to steaks, chicken, hamburgers, pasta and salad. It might also offer a special menu that features low-calorie, smaller portion meals.

Parking will increase from 5,555 parking spaces in outdoor parking lots to 7,427 spaces in a combination of outdoor parking lots and four parking garages.

The mall is co-owned by Lawrence Associates and the investor group Lawrence Development. The Simon Property Group is a partner with Lawrence Associates.

Although Lawrence Associates and Lawrence Development own the mall, the four anchor stores — J.C. Penney, Sears, Lord & Taylor and Macy’s — own the land and the buildings in which they are located.