What’s happening on the Boulevard

Here’s what’s happening—and in the works—on Rowan Boulevard:

Rowan Boulevard Apartments
The apartment complex houses 884 students in 28 one-bedroom efficiency units and 214 four-bedroom suites.

Barnes & Noble Collegiate Superstore
The boulevard’s first major retailer, the 36,000-square-foot store broke ground in August 2009 and opened for business on Dec. 1, 2010. The store, which offers more than 75,000 volumes, includes a Rowan University textbook section, a Varsity Spirit Shop, and an indoor/outdoor Starbucks café.

Marriot Courtyard Hotel and Conference Center
Construction is underway on the five-story hotel, which will feature 100 rooms, including eight suites, 2,654 square feet of meeting space, and a 6,000 square foot restaurant. It is expected to be completed in fall 2011.

Town Square
The historic downtown end of Rowan Boulevard will feature a new, 1.5-acre Town Square, which will serve as a gathering place for community events and celebrations, outdoor concerts, and shows throughout the year.

Other retail space/residential housing
The entire Rowan Boulevard project is expected to draw as many as 60 new retail stores, including a dozen restaurants, boosting the local economy by more than $48 million when completed in 2012.  More than 7,000 square feet or retail space already has been reserved in the project, which broke ground in March of 2009.

Construction began in September 2010 on the Whitney Center, the first mixed-use building featuring retail and housing on Rowan Boulevard.

The Whitney Center will feature four floors of apartments and multi-purpose space for 300 students in Rowan’s Thomas N. Bantivoglio Honors Program. The first floor will offer 22,000 square feet of retail space.