New Brunswick to redevelop vacant Sears site near Cook, Douglass campuses

The closed-down Sears by Cook and Douglass campuses may soon disappear for good to make room for new homes, a grocery store and a large retail space, according to an article from MyCentralJersey.

Last Monday, the New Brunswick Planning Board approved the redevelopment of the vacant 30-acre Sears property near Route 1 that borders the two Rutgers campuses.

The current plans state that the site will be rebuilt into 170 townhomes, a grocery store and two mixed-use buildings containing 530 apartments combined and 10,000 square feet of retail space each, according to the article.

The Sears location shut down in 2020, and since then, the empty space has often been subjected to illegal dumping and tractor-trailer parking, according to the article. The plan is, in part, meant to supply the demand for affordable housing in the city. 

The redevelopment plan will now be forwarded to the City Council and, if approved, paired with a developing company.