When Ferren Mall, a nondescript, brown building with a parking deck and a handful of retail and office spaces, was built across the street from the New Brunswick, N.J., train station in 1983, it was erected for the convenience of those rushing to get out of the city.

"The original concept of the building was to park, grab a coffee, and hop on the train and head to work," said James Cahill, the city's 62nd mayor who has been in office since 1991.

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