The red "K" is gone. It’s been gone for a while now, but if you drive down Broadway in Westwood today, you can almost still see the ghost of that blue light special flickering in the corner of your eye. The Kmart Westwood New Jersey location wasn't just another big-box store. For decades, it served as a weirdly essential anchor for the Pascack Valley. It was where you went for last-minute school supplies, cheap lawn chairs, and that specific brand of nostalgia that only a slightly dusty department store can provide.
Retail is brutal. Honestly, we all watched the slow-motion car crash of Sears Holdings for years, so nobody was truly shocked when the Westwood doors finally locked for good in 2019. But the impact on the local community was deeper than just losing a place to buy discount detergent.
The Kmart Westwood New Jersey Legacy
When we talk about the Kmart Westwood New Jersey site at 700 Broadway, we’re talking about a massive 7.25-acre piece of real estate that dictated the flow of traffic in town for half a century. It opened back in 1982. Think about that. For nearly forty years, that building was the heartbeat of the local shopping scene. Before Amazon Prime existed, before the Garden State Plaza became a literal city unto itself, Westwood residents had Kmart.
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It was convenient. It was right there. You didn't have to navigate the madness of Route 17 or the Paramus malls to get a garden hose or a pack of Hanes undershirts.
The decline of this specific location mirrored the national trend, but it felt personal here. By the time 2019 rolled around, the shelves were getting thinner. The lighting felt a bit dimmer. Eddie Lampert’s strategy of "failing upward" with Sears and Kmart meant that maintenance at the Westwood store often took a backseat to corporate debt restructuring. You’d walk in and see those yellow clearance signs, and you just knew. The end wasn't coming; it was already there.
Why this location was a goldmine for developers
The closure of Kmart Westwood New Jersey wasn't just a loss for shoppers; it was a massive "For Sale" sign for every developer in the Tri-State area. Why? Because Westwood is a "hub" town. It has a high-density population with significant disposable income, yet it maintains a walkable, "small-town" feel. Finding seven acres of flat, developable land in the middle of Bergen County is like finding a unicorn in your backyard.
Commercial real estate experts like those at Hekemian & Co., who have long-standing roots in North Jersey development, understood the pivot immediately. The shift from "big-box retail" to "mixed-use luxury" is the story of the 2020s. People don't want to drive to a massive warehouse anymore; they want to live above a grocery store and walk to a coffee shop.
The transition from Kmart to "The District"
After the Kmart Westwood New Jersey location shuttered, the rumors started flying. Would it be a Target? A Whole Foods? Maybe another car dealership?
Ultimately, the site became the centerpiece of a massive redevelopment project known as "The District at Westwood." This wasn't just a renovation. It was a total reimagining. We’re talking about roughly 200 luxury apartments and a curated selection of retail spaces. This shift represents exactly what’s happening in towns like Ridgewood, Montclair, and now Westwood.
- The Apartment Factor: The new development includes multi-family housing, which is a hot-button issue in Bergen County.
- The Retail Mix: Instead of one giant store, the space is carved up for multiple tenants.
- The Economics: High-density housing brings a tax base that a struggling Kmart simply couldn't match in its final years.
It’s a bit jarring to see the transformation. One year you’re buying a cheap toaster at Kmart; the next, you’re looking at a sleek, modern facade with "luxury" written all over it. That’s the nature of progress, I guess.
What shoppers actually lost (and gained)
Let’s be real for a second. Kmart Westwood New Jersey was kind of a mess toward the end. The floors were scuffed, the checkout lines were inexplicably long even when the store was empty, and the inventory was... erratic.
But it was affordable.
Bergen County is expensive. Like, really expensive. When Kmart left, it took away one of the few places where a middle-class family could get basic household goods without paying a "boutique" premium. If you lived in the senior housing nearby or were a young family starting out in a Westwood fixer-upper, Kmart was a lifeline.
The "Boutique-ification" of Westwood
The loss of Kmart accelerated the town's transition into a high-end destination. Now, Broadway and the surrounding streets are filled with incredible restaurants like Mezza or Vironia's. It's great for the local economy, but it changes the "soul" of the town. You trade the Blue Light Special for avocado toast and artisan cocktails. Most people would say that’s an upgrade, but there’s a certain grit that disappears when the big-box anchors leave.
The redevelopment of the Kmart Westwood New Jersey site is actually a case study in modern urban planning. By bringing in residents—people who will actually walk into the downtown shops—the town is trying to insulate itself from the "retail apocalypse." It's a smart play. If you live at The District, you’re going to walk over to Conrad’s Confectionery or grab a beer at Five Dimes Brewery. You become part of the town's ecosystem.
Traffic and the Bergen County struggle
If you’ve ever tried to drive through Westwood on a Saturday afternoon, you know it’s a nightmare. One of the biggest concerns with the Kmart Westwood New Jersey redevelopment was traffic.
Kmart generated a lot of "ins and outs." A massive apartment complex generates a different kind of traffic: commuters. The intersection of Broadway and Jefferson Avenue is already a bottleneck. Local residents fought hard to ensure that the redevelopment included proper traffic studies. This is the part of the story that doesn't make the glossy brochures, but it's the part that actually affects your life if you live three blocks away.
Lessons from the Kmart Westwood New Jersey closure
What can other towns learn from this?
First, big-box retail is a ticking time bomb. If your town relies on one massive retailer to pay the bills, you need a Plan B. Westwood had a Plan B, even if it took a few years to get the shovels in the ground.
Second, density is the future. Suburban sprawl is dying. People want "lifestyle centers." They want the convenience of the city with the safety of the suburbs. The Kmart site was perfectly positioned to provide that.
Third, community pushback is inevitable and necessary. The debates over the height of the new buildings and the number of units in the Kmart Westwood New Jersey replacement were intense. That’s a good thing. It forces developers to build something that actually fits the character of the neighborhood, rather than just a generic block of glass and steel.
Finding the value in the "New" Westwood
If you’re looking for that Kmart experience today, you’re basically out of luck in the immediate area. You’re heading to the Target in Montvale or the Walmart in Teterboro.
But if you look at what has replaced the Kmart Westwood New Jersey footprint, you see a town that is doubling down on its future. It’s becoming a destination. People come from all over the Pascack Valley to eat and shop here. The vacancy rate in the downtown area is remarkably low compared to other suburban hubs.
Practical steps for locals and visitors:
- Support the remaining "old school" spots: If you miss the vibe of old Westwood, go to the Iron Horse or the local hardware stores. They need you more than ever.
- Check out the new retail: The spaces replacing Kmart are bringing in fresh energy. Don't be afraid of the "luxury" label—many of these businesses are still locally owned.
- Stay informed on zoning: The redevelopment of huge sites like this usually happens in phases. Keep an eye on the Westwood Planning Board meetings if you care about how the rest of the Broadway corridor evolves.
- Plan your parking: With more people living on the old Kmart site, parking in Westwood is going to get tighter. Use the municipal lots behind the main drag instead of hunting for a spot on Broadway.
The Kmart Westwood New Jersey era is officially in the history books. It was a place of convenience, a place of cheap finds, and for a lot of us, a place of memories. But the "District" that stands there now is a reflection of where North Jersey is headed—denser, more modern, and decidedly more expensive. Whether that's a good thing depends entirely on whether you're looking for a bargain or a lifestyle.
Actionable Insights for Navigating the "Post-Kmart" Landscape
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If you are a resident or a business owner in the Pascack Valley, the evolution of the Kmart site isn't just news—it's a shift in the local economy. For shoppers, this means shifting your "routine" purchases to online or larger regional hubs like Paramus, while focusing your local spending on the unique, service-oriented businesses that are filling the Westwood gap. For investors, the success of the Westwood redevelopment proves that high-density residential projects are the safest bet in Bergen County real estate for the foreseeable future. Keep an eye on adjacent properties; as the 700 Broadway site fully matures, property values in the immediate walking radius are likely to see a sustained "halo effect" from the influx of new, high-income residents.