Middletown Planning Board Takes Another Step Ahead On Village 35

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The controversial Village 35 project took another small step closer to becoming reality at Wednesday night's Planning Board meeting, with the Middletown Planning Board approving a proposal to split the Rt. 35 property into two zonings, a residential half and a commercial half, the Asbury Park Press reports.

Ignoring the howls of protests from some Middletown residents, developer National Realty Development Corp. is keen to convert the property at the intersection of Highway 35 and Kings Highway into a massive shopping center. This is the site of Middletown's famous "Circus Liquors" (Calico the Evil Clown) liquor store.

Once completed, Village 35 will be one of the biggest shopping centers in northern Monmouth County. A Wegmans supermarket and CMX, a dine-in movie theater, are the anchor tenants and only two confirmed tenants so far. It would officially be called "The Shoppes at Middletown," but its nickname is Village 35.

Toll Brothers also wants to build condos at the site, hence why they needed the Planning Board's approval to change the zoning to half residential/half commercial. This past August, the Middletown Township Committee unanimously voted to approve a redevelopment plan at the site.

Tolls Brothers seeks to build 320 luxury townhomes, as well as two four-story apartment buildings with 80 affordable units, the APP reported.

Map of the proposed Village 35 layout supplied by the developer.