Kohl’s and Home Depot
look to fill empty space
Both may vie for store that Bradlees
vacated 2 years ago
By elaine van develde
Staff Writer

Gone are the days of grabbing a counter hot dog and hunting down bargains at Bradlees or Two Guys in Middletown.

What was once home to two discount retail giants could soon become a department store or another home-improvement mecca.

Bradlees occupied space in a 97,000-square-foot storefront on Route 35 near Kings Highway East for many years.

Before that, the store was home to the Two Guys department store, which was similar in style. Both offered discount clothes, toiletries, toys, electronics, car care products and cheap sustenance.

When Two Guys shut down in the early 1980s and Bradlees closed its doors nationwide in early 2001, many wondered what would end up in the space.

Now either Kohl’s or Home Depot is expected to take the place of Bradlees in the retail spot that has been vacant for close to two years.

The store is in a highway commercial zone, which permits "typical highway commercial uses, such as offices, shopping centers and various retail stores," according to Township Planner Anthony Mercantante.

"We’ve recently heard from Kohl’s, and Home Depot has shown a renewed interest," said Mercantante. "However, Home Depot, if it ends up leasing the space, must comply with the township’s ordinance prohibiting the big box aspects typical of their stores."

Home Depot would be required to do without its outdoor garden center and raw building and lumber sales warehouse. The outdoor warehouse characteristically employs the use of forklifts and other large, noisy equipment not typical of other retail stores.

The township banned "big box" retailers by ordinance in 2001.

An application to build a Home Depot on Route 35 near Crestview Drive was turned down that same year.

There were threats of a lawsuit from Home Depot against the township for the ordinance. Those threats disappeared, as did Home Depot’s interest in having a store in Middletown, until last year.

About a year ago, Home Depot reared its retail head again, but focused on the Bradlees site.

Home Depot representatives, Mercantante said, were told at the time that their leasing of the space would be "contingent upon compliance with the anti-big box ordinance."

The reply from Home Depot at the time was that it would figure out if the store had the capacity to be profitable without the big box component, and would get back to the township’s planning department, said Mercantante.

"We didn’t hear from them again until last week. I don’t know if they’re aware of Kohl’s interest in the space," Mercantante said.

Kohl’s has been inquiring about the site since October 2002. Either store would probably remodel the site to suit its purpose and then it would reopen, he said.

Asked which she thought township residents might prefer, Deputy Mayor Joan Smith said her constituents may prefer a Kohl’s over Home Depot.

"[Residents] might rather hear the sound of sweaters being stocked as opposed to lumber or other home improvement materials. The ‘big box’ aspect of the store would be prohibited, as the ordinance says, but Home Depot would still have to stock its store. I would think stocking Kohl’s might be more palatable to those living close by, even if Home Depot is stocking indoors," Smith said.

No township variances are required for either business at the former Bradlees store, Mercantante said.

Although he doesn’t know which company would occupy the space in the future, he said it would be beneficial to have the space occupied by any entity it’s zoned for.

"It’s never good to have a space vacant," Mercantante said. "As long as they comply with the township ordinances, either store would be fine for the spot."

Smith concurred with Mercantante’s assessment.

"It would be nice to have a profitable shopping center in that spot. As long as it looks good and is run well, it doesn’t matter which is there."