As we mentioned back in March, the Walmart in Whitehouse (Readington) closed for good earlier this past winter.
It was a business decision for Walmart that their accountants probably said was a wise idea long-term.
But what next for the old Walmart site in Readington / Whitehouse?
As a side note – we’ve recently become a bit fascinated with the number of different ways to reference specific areas in NJ. Towns within towns, unincorporated communities, hamlets, etc. This is referred to as “Whitehouse,” however – it’s officially Readington, NJ.
Anyway – the massive 120,000 square foot retail space is looking for a new tenant (or new tenants).
The for rent sign from National Realty & Development Corp. indicates that space(s) are available from 20,000 square feet to the full 120,000 square feet. Which means they’re willing to divide the property up, effectively turning it into yet another New Jersey strip mall.
The NRDC.COM website didn’t have this property listed when we checked, however, Whitehouse was listed as a search option under cities, so we gather they’re working on a listing. You can call them at 800-932-RENT if you’re interested!
A new major tenant – or yet another strip mall?
Would a new “major” tenant suit the area? Like a Home Depot, Lowes, or Target?
Or six smaller retailers? I cannot even fathom what would work there on a smaller scale. With our luck, it would be the same cookie-cutter nonsense that occupies every other strip mall. Cell phone store, chain food or two, a pet store, a fitness center, a dollar store, and cheap shoes would be my guess. Not character building for a community, that’s for sure. At least some big-box stores involve building, creating and fixing.
That is why it’s no surprise that the majority of area earth-dwellers we spoke with in the past few weeks would WELCOME a big-box home improvement store like Home Depot or Lowes. Even Target was mentioned, but we sure hope not. Something inherently “cheap” about the stuff Target sells, although they have decent stuff for kids.
But with Bridgewater just a hop, skip, and a jump away – we’re not too hopeful that any mega-corporation would take the risk.
What would you like there?
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