7 tenants in place for Rutgers College Avenue redevelopment

NEW BRUNSWICK - Seven leases have been executed within The Yard @ College Avenue, one of the $300 million College Avenue Redevelopment Initiative projects that will transform approximately 10 acres of land in the heart of the Rutgers University campus, Pierson Commercial, a market leading New Jersey commercial retail real estate provider, and New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO), a nonprofit public/private real estate development firm, announced Wednesday.

The seven new tenants are: Starbucks, honeygrow, Bella’s Burger Shack, RU Hungry, House of Cupcakes, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Krispy Pizza. The Yard @ College Avenue project is under construction and is anticipated to open in August 2016.

“We are extremely excited with obtaining these best-in-class tenants for our high-profile project,” said Jason Pierson, president of Pierson Commercial. “Pierson, in partnership with DEVCO, meticulously solicited and selected a unique tenant mix that we felt would be attractive to the Rutgers University students, staff, faculty and the broader community. The project is situated at main-and-main at the Rutgers Campus, which is the one of largest and oldest universities in New Jersey.”

The Yard @ College Avenue will be a state-of-the-art mixed-use complex including approximately 14,000 square feet of retail, housing for 550 students and an interactive open-pavilion park consisting of a 350-square-foot LED monitor that will permit patrons to watch live sporting events, concerts, movies and other programming in an open-air setting.

“We are thrilled to have these businesses join this transformational project and further showcase New Brunswick as one of America’s most exciting college towns,” said Christopher J. Paladino, president of Devco. “This project, combined with Rutgers’ entrance into the Big Ten Conference, is placing the university among the top-tier academic institutions nationwide.”

The College Avenue Redevelopment Initiative also includes a new Residential Honors College, which is now open to this year’s class of incoming students, and a new University Academic Building that will be completed in August 2016. Devco completed and opened a new building for the New Brunswick Theological Seminary in September 2014 as the first phase of the initiative.

The Yard @ College Avenue’s retail tenants to date include:

Starbucks Coffee: The world’s largest coffee chain will operate a 2,096-square-foot free-standing café.

honeygrow: Born in Philadelphia in 2012, serving farm-to-fork stir-fry, salads, kale'atta + honeybars grown as locally as possible. honeygrow will occupy a 2,311-square-foot corner space. Douglas Green, principal from MSC Retail, represented the tenant.

Bella’s Burger Shack: Born in 2009, Bella’s Burger Shack is a Basking Ridge burger concept that specializes in made-to-order burgers, onion rings and hand-cut fries. Bella’s will occupy a 1,705-square-foot space adjacent to Krispy Pizza.

RU Hungry: The original grease truck, known worldwide for their Fat Sandwiches, RU Hungry makes its long-awaited return to where it all began. Offering a full menu of delicious, healthy options and of course their Famous Fat Sandwiches, students, faculty and everyone making their way to the new 1,062-square-foot location will know what it means to truly experience a Rutgers tradition.

House of Cupcakes: Started in 2008, House of Cupcakes sells nearly 45 varieties of its delicious, award-winning cupcakes, as well as decorative pull-apart cakes, fancy personalized cupcakes for special occasions and over 30 indulgent gourmet cookies. They will lease a 677-square-foot space.

Jersey Mike’s Subs: The fast-casual sub sandwich franchise that began in 1956 at the Jersey Shore now has over 1,500 locations open and under development nationwide. Still serving their authentic East Coast-style subs on fresh baked bread “Mike’s Way,” with olive oil and red wine vinegar, Jersey Mike’s has a deep commitment to community involvement. Their opening week’s sales will be donated to a local charity.

Krispy Pizza: A family-run pizzeria born in Brooklyn 40 years ago with other locations in Staten Island, Jersey City and several New Jersey towns. The winner of Battle at the Borough contest (featuring pizza from all five boroughs and Long Island) Krispy Pizza will occupy a 1,265-square-foot corner adjacent to the busiest bus stop on the Rutgers Campus.

To learn more about Pierson Commercial, visit www.piersonre.com. To learn more about DEVCO and the College Avenue Redevelopment Initiative, visit RutgersFutureByDevco.org.