Willingboro Town Center going "green".

Willingboro Town Center, a 700,000-SF, mixed-use facility, represents one of the largest "green" redevelopments taking place in New Jersey. The site, formerly known as Willingboro Plaza, was a dormant retail complex built in the 1950's occupied by tenants such as Woolworth's and Fox Movie Theater and was purchased by ReNEWal Realty in 1998.

The Willingboro Town Center development plan employs sustainable building practices in creating a mix of retail and commercial establishments, adult housing and community-oriented institutions. The Route 130 Corridor of Burlington County, in which the Willingboro Town Center project is located, consists of 12 municipalities, covering 59 square miles. The area lacks a central commercial node, presenting an opportunity for the project to fulfill that role. Much of the land area within the corridor is developed, presenting options for additional development that include in-fill housing and the redevelopment of abandoned or deteriorated properties. Willingboro Town Center is recognized as being a significant factor in revitalizing the Route 130 Corridor.

Willingboro Town Center will feature a new state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable town library, residential housing, village greens, office space, daycare center, and over 175,000 SF of retail space. Renovations and an expansion began in September 2000 on the 160,000 SF former Boscov's department store by Sweetwater Construction Company on behalf of ReNEWal Realty and the purchaser, Merck-Medco.

Set to open later this year, the 260,000-SF Merck-Medco facility will feature an automated mail-service pharmacy at this location, introducing over 700 jobs to the community. In addition, ground has already been broken for the 19,000 SF facility for Burlington County College, which is scheduled to be completed during the first quarter of 2002. The college will utilize the facility as a branch of its main campus. The site will also feature a new, 42,000-SF, $6 million dollar Willingboro library. The library will include an exhibition area and state-of-the-art auditorium. In addition, it will house a children's area, adult reading area, multimedia facility, computer room and abundant storage area. Situated next to the development's village green, a dedicated open space area with heavy landscaping, the library will be the first building to greet visitors at Willingboro Town Center as they enter the complex from Route 130. The new Willingboro library will be connected to the Burlington County College facility by a walkway. Approximately 13,000 SF of retail space will be part of the new library facility.

Acustaff, a Cherry Hill-based temporary staffing company, Chapala Cafe, a Mexican restaurant, and Java on High, a coffee shop, are all on track to become new tenants occupying part of the total 175,000 SF of retail space available at Willingboro Town Center.