As the last stage of the busy Bethlehem mall's rehabilitation project draws to a close, the former Westgate Mall will go by a new name. The developer, located in New Jersey, is responsible for the change.
February 2022 saw the original announcement of Westgate Mall's renaming when Onyx Equities of Woodbridge, New Jersey began a four-phase renovation of the 280,000-square-foot retail destination. In 2018, Onyx acquired the location, which is close to Routes 22 and 378 at 2425 Schoenersville Road, and three years later, the multimillion-dollar redevelopment got underway. The mall will now be known as "The Westgate," according to Marjorie Kaplan, vice president of public relations at Axiom Communications, based in Rutherford, New Jersey, who spoke with lehighvalleylive.com this week. The name is entirely devoid of "Mall" and is marginally different from simply "Westgate," as it was suggested two years prior.
It is unclear if mall directories and outside signs have yet to reflect the new name change. In a news release from 2022, Onyx talks about the name change without giving a cause; instead, it highlights the developer's modernization efforts for the project.
The multi-million dollar project has so far consisted of three phases: the relocation of Weis Markets from the end of the center to the larger, former Bon-Ton space in May 2021; the redevelopment of the former Weis space into two portions, one of which houses Harbor Freight Tools, based in Calabasas, California; and the demolition of approximately 50,463 square feet of existing interior mall space. At present, Onyx has almost finished placing tenants in a recently built outdoor shopping center. There are already three establishments there: Jersey Mike's Subs, Qdoba Mexican Eats, and Starbucks, which launched with a drive-thru in August.
SoFresh and Tropical Smoothie Cafe will be next. According to Nicole Vasque, vice president of asset management at Onyx, SoFresh is anticipated to open later this month, and Tropical Smoothie is scheduled to debut later this fall. Whereas Tropical Cafe has a "Coming Soon" banner across the top of its front door, SoFresh has already posted a menu.
In addition, a drive-thru freestanding Penn Community Bank is being constructed in between the new Weis Market and the new strip mall. According to Vasquez, the bank is anticipated to open later this month. Last month, the People's First Federal Credit Union had its grand opening in the mall on the location of Dempsey's American Kitchen. The diner closed in 2005, leaving the restaurant in the parking lot of the mall empty. After that, it was destroyed to provide room for the credit union.
The 4,540-square-foot McDonald's at The Westgate had a soft opening in March before having its official grand opening on April 25. There are ordering kiosks, an outside terrace, and a dual-lane drive-thru at this location. In front of the recently constructed Weis Market.
In June 2023, Oak Street Health, another new tenant, launched its 12th state clinic in the Rite Aid location. Previously vacant for two years, the 10,000-square-foot Rite Aid was located at the southernmost point of the shopping mall. It closed in May of 2021. After some renovations, Fine Wine & Good Spirits was also welcomed back to its old place at the shopping center. Beside the old Amateur Athlete space, the liquor store was temporarily occupying space. Before reopening in September 2023, the old location had a complete renovation and expansion, according to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board spokesman Shawn Kelly.
Interior demolition took place before the strip building's construction. Additionally, it resulted in the relocation of at least six already-operating retailers, including Subway, Hawk Music, Westgate Jewelers, Holiday Hair, Fashion Nails, and Amateur Athlete. All of them have since found new sites, with the exception of Subway. In the end, Subway permanently closed at The Westgate.
The mall was constructed in 1973. The $50 million investment by Onyx Equities gave the mall its second major makeover in nine years. 2015 saw a $5 million renovation that included the addition of Sky Zone Trampoline Park. When Onyx purchased Westgate in October 2018, ownership changed.
See Here For Newly Listed Real Estate Near The Westgate in Bethlehem, PA