Land use and development

Redevelopment agreements and large commercial sites

The Council made Urban Edge Properties the redeveloper of The Village at Bridgewater Commons, 3-0, on Jan. 22, 2026, under the mall's revenue-sharing agreement dating to 1988. Other 2026 actions include a six-month temporary parking ordinance on Route 22 (Ord. 26-08) and an amendment to a township land sale for supportive housing (Ord. 26-07).

Checked against the primary record on . Every figure on this page is sourced at the foot of the article.

Village redeveloper changed in January; no new redevelopment plans in 2026 records Last moved

What happens next

Any new redevelopment plan, redeveloper agreement or payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement comes before the Council by ordinance or resolution at a public meeting; site plans go to the Planning Board.

New Jersey towns can designate “areas in need of redevelopment,” adopt redevelopment plans that replace ordinary zoning on those sites, and sign agreements with designated redevelopers, sometimes with payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs). The Council appointed Michael Sullivan of Clark Caton Hintz PC as Redevelopment Planner for 2026 (not to exceed $20,000). The Greymark site at 1200 Route 22 has its own page: data centers and the Greymark site.

The Village at Bridgewater Commons. On Jan. 22, 2026 the Council authorized a fifth amendment to the mall’s 1988 development agreement, consented to the transfer of The Village (Block 553, Lot 1.03) to Urban Edge Properties and designated it redeveloper, 3-0 (Bucko, Isla and Geiger aye; Kirsh and Ring absent). Administrator Michael Pappas said the arrangement is revenue sharing, not a PILOT, because the mall was built on township land, and that The Village will keep paying ordinary property taxes. TAPinto reported the sale was completed in late April 2026 for $54.3 million.

Temporary parking on Route 22. Ordinance 26-08, adopted May 18, 2026, 4-0 (Isla absent), allows temporary parking on part of Block 222, Lot 3.01 next to the Mercedes-Benz dealership, a site once approved for hotels. Councilman Ring said it is a one-time, six-month measure.

Township land for supportive housing. Ordinance 25-04 (May 8, 2025) authorized the sale of Whitney Court (Block 511, Lot 3) to Triple C Housing, Inc. for $100 to build affordable housing; Ordinance 26-07 (May 18, 2026) amended it so an urban renewal entity can receive state funding.

Other sites. In 2025 the Council approved a 30-year PILOT for the former Sanofi property on Route 202/206 (Ordinance 25-16) and heard a proposal for medical offices at the Somerset Corporate Center. LocalWhy found no 2026 Council action on either in the minutes it has reviewed. The Planning Board acted on both: on Feb. 17, 2026, after an executive session on “litigation brought by Somerset Corporate Center against the Township” (SOM-L-0060-25), it voted 9-0 to authorize its chairman and secretary to sign a settlement agreement, memorialized 10-0 on March 3; the terms are not stated in the minutes. On Jan. 20 it memorialized an approval for A/R Bridgewater II LLC at the former Sanofi site, 5-0, and its Oct. 27 agenda lists a further extension request.

What residents can do. Speak at the Council’s public hearings on any redevelopment ordinance and in public comment at regular meetings. The explainer sets out each site and the differing payment figures. Corrections can be emailed to info@localwhy.org.

Redevelopment sites, explained

Timeline

Each dated event on this issue, oldest first, linked to the full sourced entry.

  1. Resolved Council adopts a 30-year PILOT for the former Sanofi propertyThe Council unanimously adopted a 30-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with AR Bridgewater Urban Renewal, LLC for Block 483, Lots 17 to 19 on Route 202/206, the planned Peters Brook Innovation Center of about 940,000 square feet, TAPinto reported.
  2. Pending Planner tells Council of medical-office interest at the Somerset Corporate CenterTownship Planner Katherine Sarmad told the Council the owner of the roughly 1 million-square-foot Somerset Corporate Center, in the BRCC zone, had reported interest in medical offices and a request to add another structural level, TAPinto reported.
  3. Resolved Council makes Urban Edge redeveloper of The Village at Bridgewater Commons, 3-0The Council authorized a fifth amendment to the mall's development agreement, consented to the transfer of The Village (Block 553, Lot 1.03) to Urban Edge Properties and designated it redeveloper. Bucko, Isla and Geiger voted aye; Kirsh and Ring were absent.
  4. Resolved Planning Board authorizes a settlement with Somerset Corporate CenterAfter an executive session on litigation SOM-L-0060-25, brought by Somerset Corporate Center against the township, the Planning Board voted 9-0 to authorize its chairman and secretary to sign a settlement agreement. It memorialized the action 10-0 on March 3, 2026. The minutes do not state the terms.
  5. Resolved Council allows six months of temporary parking next to the Mercedes-Benz dealershipOrdinance 26-08 permits temporary parking on part of Block 222, Lot 3.01 on Route 22, a site once approved for hotels. It was adopted 4-0 (Isla absent). Councilman Ring said it is a one-time, six-month measure that cannot be extended.

Explainers

  • Redevelopment Agreements and Large Sites in Bridgewater, Explained

    How redevelopment designations and agreements work in Bridgewater, the Jan. 22, 2026 change of redeveloper at The Village at Bridgewater Commons and its payment terms, the temporary parking ordinance on Route 22, township land sold for supportive housing, and the 2025 Peters Brook PILOT and Somerset Corporate Center proposals.

Documents

The township's own records on this issue. Each links to the official copy.

Meetings

  • Planning Board — October 27, 2026 (special meeting)

    A special meeting. The township's notices of decision state that the Board adopted the Master Plan Reexamination Report dated 10/16/26 and found Ordinance #26-21, amending the Greymark Office Tract Redevelopment Plan, not inconsistent with the Master Plan, recommending it to the Council for adoption. The agenda also listed an extension of AR Bridgewater II LLC's prior approvals at 1041 Route 202/206. LocalWhy has not yet reviewed minutes of this meeting.

  • Planning Board — March 3, 2026

    The Board reviewed the four Fourth Round housing ordinances (#26-01 to #26-04) against the Master Plan and adopted a memorializing resolution, 10-0, and memorialized the Somerset Corporate Center settlement, 10-0. In the continued Cornell Boulevard housing hearing, engineer Michael Fisher described the 1.55-acre site plan; Vice Chair Sikora asked the developer to look at access from the highway frontage. No member of the public spoke. The hearing was carried to a March 31 special meeting.

  • Planning Board — February 17, 2026

    The Board opened the hearing on Wheatsworth Properties Urban Renewal's 15-unit affordable housing application at Cornell Boulevard and Routes 202/206 (25-026-PB). The developer, Luciano Bruni, was the only witness; Somerville Borough's attorney, the Somerville residents' attorney and six members of the public questioned him, and the hearing was carried to March 3. After an executive session the Board voted 9-0 to authorize a settlement agreement in litigation brought by Somerset Corporate Center (SOM-L-0060-25).

  • Township Council — January 22, 2026

    With Ring absent and Kirsh leaving at 8:08 p.m., the Council's resolutions passed 3-0: the township engineer, planner and bond counsel, road salt, an added $150,000 for snow removal, and the fifth amendment to the Bridgewater Commons agreement moving The Village to Urban Edge Properties. Six professional appointments were tabled. Board of Education members thanked the Council.

  • Planning Board — January 20, 2026 (reorganization)

    At its reorganization the Board elected Maurizio Vescio chairman and Ashley Sikora vice chairperson and appointed its attorney, engineer, planner and traffic engineer, all 11-0; it tabled the consulting engineer and planner posts after Mr. Pappas suggested also appointing an acoustical professional. It memorialized an approval for A/R Bridgewater II LLC (#23-007-PB), 5-0, and scheduled the Cornell Boulevard affordable housing application for February 17. No member of the public spoke.

  • Township Council — December 17, 2025

    In the outgoing Council's last meeting, with Councilman Pedroso absent, the Council adopted Ordinance 25-24, replacing the AH-3 zone at Cornell Boulevard, 4-0, after 17 people spoke at the hearing, and the $4.1 million Middle Brook sewer bond (#25-13), 4-0. It also adopted the BRCC and C-1 zone changes, certified the 2024 audit, approved 2026 employee health insurance, the 2024–2027 police contract and Sarah Housman as Director of Finance, and rejected a special tax counsel agreement, 2-2.

  • Planning Board — December 16, 2025

    The agenda listed master plan consistency reviews of three zoning ordinances, among them the AH-3 ordinance for 11 affordable apartments and four disabled-veterans units on Block 406, Lot 2.01 (Cornell Boulevard), a hearing on the Open Space & Recreation Element of the Master Plan, and two applications. LocalWhy has not yet reviewed minutes of this meeting.

  • Township Council — December 3, 2025

    Meeting a day early by township notice, with Councilman Ring absent, the Council introduced Ordinance 25-24, replacing the AH-3 zone at Cornell Boulevard, 3-1 (Pedroso nay), after a Somerville resident and Council-elect Joan Geiger asked that it wait for the new Council. It adopted the massage, health-fee and towing ordinances (#25-21 and #25-22, 3-1; #25-23, 4-0), held the hearing on the $4.1 million Middle Brook sewer bond and carried its vote to December 17, and introduced the BRCC and C-1 zone ordinances.

  • Township Council — November 6, 2025

    With Councilman Pedroso absent, the Council introduced, 4-0, a $4,100,000 bond ordinance for Phase 2 of the Middle Brook sewer pumping station and ordinances on massage businesses, the towing roster and health fees. It renewed Stavola's 2026 quarry license, awarded a snow-removal contract of up to $60,000 to RJM Landscape and Design, and approved a $642,997.23 paving contract for Plymouth Road, Ryan Way and Jeffrey Lane. The Planner reported medical-office interest at the Somerset Corporate Center.

Sources for this overview

  1. Planning Board minutes, Feb. 17, 2026 (Somerset Corporate Center settlement, SOM-L-0060-25)
  2. Planning Board minutes, March 3, 2026 (settlement resolution memorialized)
  3. Planning Board minutes, Jan. 20, 2026 (A/R Bridgewater II resolution)
  4. Township Council minutes, Jan. 22, 2026 (Village at Bridgewater Commons, Urban Edge)
  5. Resolution 26-01-22-050 (township meeting-items folder)
  6. Township Council minutes, Feb. 19, 2026 (Redevelopment Planner appointed)
  7. Township Council minutes, May 18, 2026 (Ordinances 26-07 and 26-08 adopted)
  8. TAPinto Bridgewater/Raritan, Sept. 15, 2025: "Bridgewater Approves PILOT Program at Former Sanofi-Aventis Property"
  9. TAPinto Bridgewater/Raritan, Nov. 24, 2025: "Bridgewater to Hear Presentation on Medical Offices at Somerset Corporate Center"
  10. TAPinto Bridgewater/Raritan, Feb. 4, 2026: "Bridgewater Township Approves Sale of Village at Commons to New Developer"
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