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The mall's proposed redevelopment received unanimous approval at the Paramus Planning Board meeting on Thursday, Jan. 18 following a public hearing for the first phase of the project.
The redevelopment will transform Westfield Garden State Plaza into a mixed-use site, featuring nearly 1,440 apartments, senior housing and an outdoor town green space through a joint project from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Mill Creek Residential.
Hoping to break ground late this year, the first phase of development will include the construction of 550 luxury apartments, slated to open in 2027. U-N-W's goal is to turn the town green into a community hub, featuring a main street outdoor district.
Mayor Christopher DiPiazza shared the following with Daily Voice:
"The approval by the Paramus Planning Board of the first phase of the Garden State Plaza redevelopment was years in the making, a combination of the 2016 Master Plan re-examination and the Borough's agreement with Fair Share Housing in 2019.
"The Borough looks forward to continuing our excellent relationship with Garden State Plaza while also doing all we can to maintain our suburban quality of life.
"A perfect example of this was the Planning Board's insistence upon the approval being conditioned on removal of closets from any dens to prevent an easy conversion to extra bedrooms. While this administration continues to explore global solutions to overdevelopment, this small but significant step shows that this administration will always put our residents first."
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