Chipotle and Panera Headed for New Vermella Union Development
UNION, NJ –Two restaurants, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread, have signed leases at Vermella Union, the mixed-use development under construction on Morris Avenue, across from Kean University.
According to Russo Development, the restaurants make up a portion of the 35,000-square foot retail center scheduled to open in July 2019 to coincide with the first phase availability of 415 rental apartments and 65,000 of indoor/outdoor amenity space.
“The ability to live, eat and shop at the footsteps of your home is an amenity that will set us apart from other residential options in the Northern New Jersey,” said Edward Russo, CEO of Russo Development. “We knew the location, dense population and strong traffic counts were going to be appealing to retailers, but it’s still exciting to have big retail names that will attract residents and retail traffic to the community coming on board.”
When completed, Vermella Union’s 42-acre site will include over 1,250 luxury apartments, with a 25,000 sq. ft. clubhouse, a fitness center, pool, business center, and package concierge.
Russo purchased the 55-acre property, which is adjacent to Kean University and the near the Union Train Station, from Merck in June 2017. Russo sold 13 of the 55 acres to Kean University, for additional parking and future development to support the University’s continued growth.