Forrestal Village

Forrestal Village

Location	300 Forrestal Rd, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Opening date	1986
Developer	Toombs Development Company
Management	Gale Real Estate Services Company
Total retail floor area	720,000ft²
No. of floors	2
Parking	Surface Lot and Parking Garage
Website	PrincetonForrestalVillage.com

Forrestal Village is a 720,000-square-foot (67,000 m²), 52-acre (210,000 m²) mixed-use retail and office complex in Plainsboro Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, along Route 1. Despite being in Plainsboro it has a Princeton address. It is just north of Princeton University's Forrestal campus and is named for James Forrestal. The center is anchored by Can Do Fitness (an upscale chain of fitness centers in the northeast) and a Westin hotel. In recent years, it has suffered a sharp decline, turning into a dead mall. Renovations and rebranding as an "office" complex are underway to bring customers back. The center has spawned some development in the area, including an adjacent office complex and several apartment and condo communities, including Princeton Windrows, which is right across the street.

History

The Rockingham Row section of Forrestal Village

Princeton Forrestal Village broke ground in 1986 on land leased from Princeton University, at Route 1 and College Farm Road. A cloverleaf interchange was completed at the intersection to ease the congestion of the then-planned center. The center's developer ultimately paid for the intersection after a two-year battle against the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.^[1]

Designed by Sasaki Associates of Watertown, Massachusetts, and Bower Lewis Thrower/Architects of Philadelphia, the initial goal of the center was to "Create a retail mix that will not just bring people in every few weeks like the regional malls do".^[2]

When it opened, it contained nightclubs, several restaurants, a 300-room Marriott hotel, an indoor food court, and many upscale stores, all set up in an open-air Main Street-style village area. ^[3] To lure "everyday" shoppers, a barbershop, a tailor and custom shirt shop, a shoe repair establishment, an express mail operation and a video rental store were also opened.

Since the area was surrounded by competitors, such as downtown Princeton, Palmer Square, and the Quaker Bridge Mall, it wasn't as successful as planned. As many of the upscale tenants moved out, the owners brought in outlet stores and the Forrestal Village became an outlet mall. The concept was successful for a brief period.

Revitalization

By the late 90's, the center was almost dead. Some changes were made, including the opening of the Tre Piani restaurant and a new office building on the site.

In 2003, the owners, The Praedium Group, sold the center for $39.6 million to the Gale Company.^[4] In 2007, the mall rebranded itself as mainly an office and professional complex with some retail stores, mainly for the office workers. By that time, the Marriott, which moved across Route 1 to the site of the former Scanticon Hotel, was replaced with a Westin. The first change was the Can Do Fitness, which opened up in the 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m²) "Market Hall" building, which includes a Koi Spa, physical therapy center, nail salon, and other small retail stores inside. Also, Luxe Home, a furnishings store, relocated to the center from Princeton's Palmer Square.

Several restaurants, such as the Salt Creek Grille and Ruth's Chris Steak House have also opened. The food court, which was relocated from the Market Hall to an area in the main retail area, only has four current tenants, a Subway, a pizza place (Valentino's Pizzeria/Trattoria), a sushi/teriyaki vendor (Teriyaki Boy), and a Chinese restaurant/Deli (China Chen/Village Grille). Most of the other tenants in the retail spaces are offices and services.

Current Tenants

Forrestal Village's Food Court

• 

  Morning Flowers

• 

  Inside Tre Piani

• 

  In the Spring

• 

  Fountain on the Square

• 

  Cando Fitness

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  Salt Creek Grille

• 

  Tre Piani

• 

  Fountain in the Square

References

External links

• Forrestal Village Website
• Deadmalls.com entry
• The Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village

Princeton, New Jersey
Areas
Historic Districts	Princeton Historic District Stony Brook Village Jugtown King's Highway Kingston Mill Mountain Avenue
Former municipalities	Borough of Princeton Princeton Township
Education
Public schools	Princeton Public Schools Princeton High School Witherspoon Street School for Colored Children (defunct) Princeton Charter School
Independent schools	Hun School Lewis School Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart Princeton Day Princeton Friends Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science St. Paul's Stuart Country Day
Colleges and universities	Princeton University Princeton Theological Seminary Westminster Choir College Evelyn College for Women (defunct)
Other education	Institute for Advanced Study Princeton Community Japanese Language School Princeton Public Library Princeton University Art Museum Witherspoon Institute
Other
Places of Worship	Miller Chapel Nassau Christian Center Nassau Presbyterian Princeton United Methodist Princeton University Chapel Stone Hill Church Stony Brook Meeting House Trinity Episcopal
Parks and Recreation	Delaware and Raritan Canal Herrontown Woods Arboretum Jasna Polana Lake Carnegie Marquand Park Mountain Lakes Preserve Princeton Battlefield
Shopping, and Dining	Nassau Street Palmer Square Elements Hoagie Haven Nassau Club Nassau Inn Peacock Inn Princeton Record Exchange Triumph Brewing
Performing Arts	McCarter Theatre Alexander Hall Princeton Symphony Orchestra Williamson Voices
Media	I Grew Up in Princeton Comedy Minus One Princeton Community Television Princeton Packet Town Topics
Other landmarks	Albert Einstein House Drumthwacket Joseph Henry House Donald Grant Herring Estate Maclean House Maybury Hill Mercer Oak Morven Nassau Hall Princeton Battle Monument Princeton Cemetery Princeton Railroad Station Prospect House Tusculum Cottage Club Washington Oak Westland Mansion
Princeton addressed landmarks outside the municipality	American Boychoir School Chapin School Educational Testing Service Forrestal Village MarketFair Mall Princeton Airport Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Robert Wood Johnson Foundation St. Joseph's Seminary (in Plainsboro; defunct) Sarnoff Corporation Terhune Orchards Washington Road Elm Allée
See also: Princeton University and National Register of Historic Places listings in Mercer County, New Jersey

Coordinates: 40°21′22″N 74°36′43″W / 40.35609°N 74.61193°W / 40.35609; -74.61193