Hundreds of new jobs as Bayonne Crossing mall opens stores over coming months

[MCA™]

Bayonne Crossing center sold for $67.9 million
Published: Friday, April 06, 2012, 3:02 AM
The Jersey Journal

In a multi-million dollar transaction, the ownership of the Bayonne Crossing shopping center has changed hands.

A subsidiary of Inland Diversified Real Estate Trust acquired the 356,647-square-foot shopping center, located at the interchange of Route 440 South and East 22nd Street, within the last few weeks, according to a news release.

Inland said in a securities filing that it purchased the retail property for $67.9 million using proceeds from an offering and a $45 million loan it secured at closing.

The Cameron Group, a mixed-use property development, investment and management firm based in Syracuse, NY, sold the property, which opened to great fanfare in early 2011 when Sonic Drive-In became the first commercial tenant.

The center, which is 92 percent occupied with 22 tenants, now boasts a 91,109-square-foot Walmart and a 146,583-square-foot Lowe’s. Yesterday, Dots, a women’s fashion retailer, opened a store at the shopping center.

Stephen Gallo, Bayonne’s business administrator, said yesterday that the transition from The Cameron Group to Inland will be seamless as far as customers and commercial tenants are concerned.

“Cameron’s intention was always to build and sell,” Gallo said. “Apparently the offer was so good they couldn’t walk away from it.” Inland, Gallo added, “has an extensive track record . . . They are very successful with what they do.”

Inland and Cameron officials could not be reached yesterday to comment.

Other tenants at the shopping center include Michael’s, Dollar Zone, New York Sports Club and Longhorn Steakhouse.

[MCA™]

Opening day for Walmart at Bayonne Crossing draws crowds
Published: Thursday, October 13, 2011, 3:00 AM
Charles Hack/The Jersey Journal

Crowds of shoppers packed Walmart’s new mega-store at Bayonne Crossing yesterday, eager to see what it has to offer.

Long lines at all of the 17 cash registers and a 400-space parking lot filled to capacity were the result as Hudson County’s fourth Walmart opened at the shopping center at Route 440 and New Hook Road.

Shoppers from Bayonne, Jersey City and Staten Island gave the store high marks for customer service, choice, prices and convenience. Bayonne resident Eileen Palomino, 30, a regular customer of Walmart in Secaucus who was shopping for clothes with her 3-year-old and 15-month-old daughters, said she is excited to have a new Walmart in the city and was happy with the service.

“Every time I needed something, somebody was there to help me,” Palomino said. “I am tired of going to Secaucus or Kearny. This is just a two-minute ride in the car.”

Judy Whalen, of 44th Street in Bayonne, who was loading shopping bags into her car trunk, said she enjoyed the experience of “one-stop shopping.”

“It has everything you need, food, clothes and electronics. It’s excellent. This is just what Bayonne needs,” Whalen said. “I am glad they opened on a weekday. It was crowded, but not unbearable.”

Evelyn Addison-Laurie, 59, of Greenville in Jersey City, said she was impressed with how organized the store was on opening day.

“I was expecting it to be extremely crowded and disorganized,” Addison-Laurie said. “I was pleasantly surprised.”

Iliana Sanabria, 39, of Staten Island, came to buy baby products, but ended up filling her cart with groceries, children’s toys and other spontaneous purchases.

“We are excited because it’s close by,” Sanabria said. “I came here for baby items and got more than I came in for.”

Walmart officials said they received a “big welcome” from Bayonne and the surrounding area and had extra staff on duty to cope with the rush.

“It’s been an eye-opener for us,” said co-manager Givoanni Ambrosia, 30, who commutes to the store from Connecticut. “This is great for the community. We help the customer save money and live better. That is what we are here for.”

[shahaggy]

I have been hoping to see a TGI Fridays open up in Jersey City, NJ.  :-(

We can't have nice things. We can't even get a Hole Foods in this town so don't hold your breath for a TGI Fridays. Honestly, I'd sell my soul to have an Olive Garden in this town.

we could always get lucky and they'll close either the Uno's or Chili's and replace it with a TGIFridays
one can always hope...

[porkchopsoda]

I have been hoping to see a TGI Fridays open up in Jersey City, NJ.  :-(

We can't have nice things. We can't even get a Hole Foods in this town so don't hold your breath for a TGI Fridays. Honestly, I'd sell my soul to have an Olive Garden in this town.

I kinda like living in a neighborhood where these chain restaurants don't exist. There is nothing worse then paying good money for frozen reheated crap like TGIF.  Such good burgers at New Park Tavern and White star, why would you want TGIF?  You know what to expect from places like Chil's Uno's , etc, but IMHO, they cant compete to some of the other joints we have in town. We do need to get some good Italian food here though.  I have yet to find a pizza that I like and home cooked dishes that give me da propa itus.

There was a rumor last year that c-town on jersey ave could be replaced by a nicer market like a whole foods or trader joes but I dont know how true it was.

[porkchopsoda]

What I want to know is this:
The car hops who work at the new Sonic ride back and forth on roller skates/blades.
In the winter are they forced to use ice skates?

http://www.landroller.com/ 

[Binky]

What I want to know is this:
The car hops who work at the new Sonic ride back and forth on roller skates/blades.
In the winter are they forced to use ice skates?

[fasteddie]

I have been hoping to see a TGI Fridays open up in Jersey City, NJ.  :-(

We can't have nice things. We can't even get a Hole Foods in this town so don't hold your breath for a TGI Fridays. Honestly, I'd sell my soul to have an Olive Garden in this town.

[SusanSaint]

I have been hoping to see a TGI Fridays open up in Jersey City, NJ.  :-(

[AmbushBug]

Fixed the thread name for y'all.

Not sure if their method is working to seal that fat out:

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/americas-worst-french-fries-and-what-you-should-eat-instead/

71 grams of fat and almost 1,500 calories? Yikes!

[shahaggy]

5 Guys fries are soggy and shitty anyhow, def not worth ordering, just stick to the burgers!

[RB]

Not sure if their method is working to seal that fat out:

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/americas-worst-french-fries-and-what-you-should-eat-instead/

71 grams of fat and almost 1,500 calories? Yikes!

[AmbushBug]

Yes and no, Fang. If the papas have more water in them, they'll release more steam as they cook, which helps to make them fluffier and to keep oil from getting inside their gooey little centers as quickly as it would otherwise. So long as there's steam moving out, grease doesn't have a chance to get in. Of course, proper oil temp and cooking time are necessary to make this process work.

SCIENCE!

The beef used at the restaurants is purchased from Burger Maker in Carlstadt and is 80 percent lean meat, Surico said. Before the potatoes are baked in peanut oil, they are cut and soaked in water to extract starch and seal out the fat, he added.

   Well, that's not what what soaking potatoes in water after cutting them does at all, just prevents them from oxidizing, proper oil temperature is what keeps them from getting soggy and oily.

[TheFang]

The beef used at the restaurants is purchased from Burger Maker in Carlstadt and is 80 percent lean meat, Surico said. Before the potatoes are baked in peanut oil, they are cut and soaked in water to extract starch and seal out the fat, he added.

   Well, that's not what what soaking potatoes in water after cutting them does at all, just prevents them from oxidizing, proper oil temperature is what keeps them from getting soggy and oily.

[MCA™]

More new tenants:


Five Guys Burgers opens in Bayonne
Monday, January 24, 2011
By CHARLES HACK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened its doors yesterday at 301 Bayonne Crossing Way and burger lovers swooped in.

"The last time I had a burger was in 1996," said Summer Qureshi, 26, of Bayonne, noting she abstained because of concerns about how the meat is handled in restaurants. But with Five Guys' reputation for high-quality and freshness - the restaurant doesn't even have a freezer - Qureshi is ready to consume some beef.

"I am going to start eating burgers now," she said. "I love it."

Velda Griffin, 48, of Mount Laurel, said if Five Guys is good enough for President Barack Obama and his White House staff it's good enough for her.

"I like the burgers. They are really fresh," said Griffin who had been shopping at the nearby and recently opened Lowe's Home Improvement. "It's different from any other fast food place."

There are now four Five Guys restaurants in Hudson County. Franchise Kings LLC opened the first store in Hoboken in September 2008. There are other locations in Jersey City and North Bergen. The owners of Franchise Kings - Adam Willets, 34, Jim Hare, 52, Phil Surico, 46 - plan to open four more stores in Hudson County by 2013.

The beef used at the restaurants is purchased from Burger Maker in Carlstadt and is 80 percent lean meat, Surico said. Before the potatoes are baked in peanut oil, they are cut and soaked in water to extract starch and seal out the fat, he added.

Surico said the biggest challenge he faces is to order exactly the right amount of food so nothing is wasted. The menu is relatively simple - burgers, hot dogs, fries, and drinks, as well as three kinds of sandwiches. "We don't want to take our eyes off the ball," Surico said. "We want to make the best burgers and fries."

The Bayonne store will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. The fourth store at the Bayonne Crossing shopping center, LongHorn Steakhouse restaurant, is set to open today. The first store to open at the shopping center was Sonic restaurant at the beginning of December. The 94,000 square-foot Lowe's Home Improvement opened late December.

---

Longhorn Steakhouse opens at Bayonne Crossing shopping center; 300-seater is center's first full-service restaurant
Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Offering diners a taste of the southwest, the first full-service restaurant opened at the new Bayonne Crossing shopping center yesterday afternoon.

Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith joined LongHorn Steakhouse staff in opening the 300-seat restaurant at 907 Bayonne Crossing, which has a full-menu that includes grilled steaks, fish and chicken.

The restaurant, which includes a bar, will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekends, said Jeffrey Scott, director of operations for LongHorn Steakhouse.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened its doors at the shopping center on Sunday, and a Sonic restaurant opened last month.

CHARLES HACK

[MCA™]

Bayonne will welcome hundreds of new jobs as new Bayonne Crossing mall opens stores over coming months
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
By CHARLES HACK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Hundreds of new retail and food industry jobs will be coming to Bayonne this fall as new stores and restaurants begin to open at the new Bayonne Crossing mall on Route 440.

Home improvement retail giant Lowe's has begun hiring roughly 120 people for a 103,000-square-foot store under construction at the new shopping center on Route 440 between New Hook Road and East 22nd Street, according to Lowe's spokesman, Gerard Littlejohn.

Lowe's plans to open the Bayonne retail outlet by the end of the year and has recently opened a recruitment office at South Cove Commons Mall on 32nd Street. The company is currently advertising for 41 management and sales jobs at the new store at Lowes.com/careers.

Eric Alderman, one of the development partners with Cameron Bayonne Urban Renewal, LLC, hinted that Lowe's and other stores could be open as soon as Thanksgiving, saying the project is "ahead of schedule."

City officials say the shopping center will provide 800 new jobs when it's built out by next spring.

"During this time of high unemployment, the City of Bayonne welcomes the new jobs at Lowe's," Mayor Mark Smith said. "We look forward to additional jobs as the Bayonne Crossing shopping center continues to develop."

Sonic/America's Drive-in franchise owner, Santarelli Group, will likely begin recruiting up to 100 people - including car hops on roller skates - later this month for an anticipated November opening, said Dina Santarelli, a partner with the group.

Florida-based LongHorn Steakhouse expects to begin hiring roughly 70 people next month for the restaurant, which is slated to open by the end of the year, said company spokesman Rich Jeffers.

GNC has hired a manager for its 2,310-square-foot health and nutritional supplement store and plans to start hiring three additional part-time associates a month before opening on Feb. 1.

T-Mobile will employ an unspecified number of people at its store, which is expected to open mid-November, a company spokeswoman said.

A spokeswoman for Walmart refused to say when that retail giant will open its store at Bayonne Crossing or how many people it plans to hire. Other businesses slated to open at the mall include New York Sports Club and TGI Fridays.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the abandoned Standard Oil/ExxonMobil headquarters last October, seven years after the developer first expressed an interest in building a mall at the site.

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