Huge changes coming to major NJ shopping center

I didn’t go there a lot as a kid, but it loomed large when I would be on my way to Bowcraft Amusement Park just down the highway in Scotch Plains. Bowcraft is long gone, the rides all torn down to make way for condos.

Blue Star’s history and roots along Route 22

The Blue Star Shopping Center, however, is still going strong. Yet massive changes are coming.

The Blue Star has been there like a majestic royal retail kingdom along Route 22 in Watchung for as long as I can remember. That’s because it long predates me. Built in 1954, the shopping center was named after the Blue Star Memorial Highway program, which honored men and women who served our country.

Size, scale and tenant mix at Blue Star

It is a massive space of 420,000 square feet and is occupied by such well-known retailers as Kohl’s, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, Five Guys, Dollar Tree, The Children’s Place, as well as KidStrong and Planet Fitness.

New tenants taking over former ShopRite space

There had been a ShopRite there until recently. The grocer moved out to a larger 72,000 square foot space, making room for new leases.

Now it’s been announced that Marshall’s, already a tenant at Blue Star, is moving into that unoccupied space, MyCentralJersey.com reports. A Burlington is also coming in.

In addition, a Taco Bell will be new to the Blue Star Shopping Center. Nails Spa & Beyond is also coming soon, leasing more than 5,000 square feet of space.

What these changes mean for Watchung shoppers

No word on exactly when Somerset County shoppers can expect these businesses to open.