Rouse Co. to develop shopping mall across from Quaker Bridge

A big-name developer, whose projects have included New York's South Street Seaport and Baltimore's Inner Harbor, has begun discussions to build a high-end shopping mall across the street from Quaker Bridge Mall, officials involved with the project said.

The Rouse Co. in partnership with the Wyeth corporation has met with nearby West Windsor Township concerning a 645-acre property along Route 1 they plan to develop.

The land, which is more than six times the size of Quaker Bridge, could also include office space, research facilities and housing in addition to the shopping complex.

The plan is still very much in its early stages.

"This is really us trying to do our homework and discover the community's concerns," said Warren Wilson, Rouse's director of new business.

He estimated the project would take 10 years at the earliest to be completed.

But the stakes are much higher than whether University students will have a new place to shop.

Rouse's proposal comes as several other groups, including the University, are branching out into West Windsor, which is south of Princeton on the other side of Lake Carnegie.

Tyco corporation plans to move into 100,000 square feet of office space in the township, and the University is brokering a purchase of a 90-acre parcel owned by the Sarnoff Corp.

However, Rouse's proposal would not affect the University's plans, said Pam Hersh, community and state affairs director.

Though President Tilghman said last year that the University would not develop the land during her tenure, these projects also come as Central Jersey officials are figuring out how to manage traffic congestion and environmental protection.

And critics have already noted the competition it presents for Princeton Borough, whose business owners are struggling with a drop in sales.

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A Wyeth spokeswoman said, however, that Rouse was hired because of their commitment to seeking community input.

Rouse held two community sessions in December that attracted about 300 people, Wilson said. Common opinions included a desire to attract tax revenue through commercial development, a positive response to mixed-use development that would keep traffic off the roads at peak hours and concern about housing that would attract school-age children and increase the burden on the public school system.

The property is currently zoned for eight million square feet of office space. But Wyeth and West Windsor have an informal agreement allowing for more open space and less development, West Windsor Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said.

Rouse is working on a proposal that would develop six million square feet of space for various purposes and hopes to present its plans to West Windsor some time this summer for the Township Council to vote on new zoning laws, Wilson said.

According to Hsueh, West Windsor has agreed with Wyeth on the importance of attracting business ratables to the development to aid property taxes, developing a "traffic-friendly" plan that would include mass-transit, and creating a plan that the community can identify with.

"If we do it right this will be a great asset to West Windsor to have a place we can identify with and feel that this is our home," Hsueh said.