A proposed Old Navy store is indicated on several leasing/marketing pages for the Towne Center section of the booming Garden State Park shopping center. The building would be new construction, which was previously approved as a smaller build… so we think this would have to head to planning board again as the Old Navy store is indicated with larger square footage.
We are unclear on timing of this project.
Location and Prior Approval
The proposed location is on the Haddonfield Road side of the shopping complex, next to DSW shoes. The DSW shoe store is positioned as the last store in that line of stores (Ulta, Barnes & Noble). To the side of the DSW “end cap” is a parking area, and that is where a new building is proposed.
Back in the Spring of 2018, shopping center management were approved to build a 14,770 square foot addition to the shopping center. At the time a tenant was not indicated.
We recently noticed that since then, the center website as well as owner Edgewood Properties’ website has been featuring an Old Navy Store.
A site plan at the Garden State Park website clearly indicates the new building next to DSQ, with Old Navy listed as “proposed”.
We searched through the center’s website and found a couple different versions of the site plan over the last 2 years.. and while other stores have changes… adding Sugar Factory, removing Jared and Destination Maternity… but they still have kept Old Navy listed as proposed!
The image also indicates a size of 16,547 which is almost 2,000 square feet more, hence our belief that if this were to be built, they would need to get Township approvals again.
A similar image is on property owner Edgewood Properties’ website, as well as a small inclusion in a list of stores:
an upscale “Lifestyle” center that features Barnes & Noble, The Cheesecake Factory, Nordstrom Rack, Gap, Athleta, Talbots, J.Jill, Jos. A. Bank, Ulta Beauty, DSW, Old Navy, BRIO, Verizon, Xfinity,
Old Navy Cherry Hill – Third Address for Same Store?
To be clear, there is already an Old Navy store just a mile away in the Cherry Hill Mall. If a new store were developed in the Garden State Park center, we don’t know what would happen to the mall location.
But last month it was reported that the parent Gap company has announced it will close a majority of its mall located stores… which adds more credence to this proposed shopping center Old Navy. The NJ.Com article also says Gap draws 70% of its revenue from Old Navy and Athleta, so it makes sense that they would continue to invest in those brands with better located stores.
But this wouldn’t be the first time Old Navy changed its Cherry Hill address!
For 15 years the Cherry Hill Mall has been home to an Old Navy store, on the second floor near JC Penneys.
But that was actually their second address!
Many will remember they were first developed on the other side of the train tracks, at the Garden State Pavillions!
Around 2005 both the Home Depot and Old Navy moved out of the Pavilions. Home Depot simply crossed the tracks to join Wegmans at the Garden State Park center, and Old Navy headed to the Cherry Hill Mall!
Now it would seem another move is in planning for the Old Navy store!
Birds of a Feather
Another interesting facet of this proposal, is that Old Navy is part of the larger Gap group of companies, which also includes Banana Republic, Athleta and more.
This same area of the Garden State Park shopping center has a Gap store which opened in 2018, and just a year later in 2019 sister company Athleta opened.
So it makes adding Old Navy to the complex a more viable story… there is already a relationship between Gap brands and Garden State Park management, and you know conversations would take place regarding “how can we extend this business partnership?”