Home Care In East Brunswick, NJ

EAST BRUNSWICK – The revival of the Brunswick Square Mall, a dream of township officials for years, has taken a big step forward with mall owners, Paramount Realty and Edgewood Properties, announcing the Route 18 property will be "reimagined" into a vibrant, open-air shopping center.Among the new tenants, Mayor Brad Cohen said in a Facebook post, will be Nordstrom Rack, PGA TOUR Superstore, J.Crew, The Picklr, Fun City Adventure Park, Hackensack Meridian Health, Sola Salon, and Kid Strong.

Contracts with the businesses have been signed, with the mayor adding "more will be coming."

AMC Theatres, Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, Panera Bread, Twisted Crab, Kids United, Results Performance, LensCrafters, Olive Garden, Habit Burger & Grill, and TD Bank will continue to serve as anchors in the new shopping center.

Most of those businesses will be relocated to new "right-sized spaces" facing Route 18 and will feature their newest corporate prototypes.

"East Brunswick is finally back on the map," Cohen exclaimed in the Facebook video.

The mayor, who has launched a bid to replace the retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, said the redevelopment plans and the decision by the businesses resulted from them taking "note of what's going on in East Brunswick."

“For decades, Brunswick Square has been a central part of East Brunswick’s commercial identity,” Paramount Realty said in a statement. “This redevelopment doesn’t just preserve that legacy—it elevates it. We’re creating an experience-driven, open-air destination that matches how people shop, dine, and spend time today.”

“Residents have waited a long time for a meaningful transformation, and we’re excited to deliver a project that brings in top national retailers, cutting-edge entertainment, and reinvestment into the Route 18 corridor," Edgewood Properties said in a statement. "This is a major milestone for East Brunswick’s future.”

Cohen said the mall will be a "a community center" for the suburban municipality which has no downtown except for Route 18.

He also said that the new stores will allow East Brunswick residents to stay within the township for shopping at national brands.

The revitalized center will have pedestrian-friendly layouts, new landscaping, modern fac?ades, and an open-air design, according to a release from the township.

Cohen said the project will bring new jobs to the township, a stronger tax base, and promote Route 18 as a top shopping destination in New Jersey.

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As far as season openers go, Tuesday night’s game against Monroe was one to celebrate for East Brunswick.

The Bears started the season with a 71-43 win over the Falcons in a Greater Middlesex Conference Red American Division game. It was the first time East Brunswick had defeated Monroe since Jan. 4, 2022, which snapped a streak of eight-straight losses.

It was also the highest scoring game for the Bears since a 73-49 win over Middlesex on Feb. 4, 2023.

“That streak is done, we’re starting a new streak,” East Brunswick’s Sophia Tannura said. “We just really came out strong and we played like a team.”

East Brunswick led 11-10 after the first quarter, but started to pull away in the second. With the game tied 14-14 with 6:49 remaining in the half, the Bears went on a 14-2 run to take a 28-16 lead with 3:44 left.

From there, East Brunswick outscored Monroe 10-5 in the final 3:20 and took a commanding 38-21 lead at halftime.

“We just had to keep up the energy,” East Brunswick’s Julianna DelosSantos-Branson said. “We didn’t know where it was going to go, but we did know that we really wanted it badly so we just thought about that the whole game and just went with that.”

In the second half, East Brunswick outscored the Falcons 18-15 in the third quarter and 15-7 in the fourth for the 71-43 final.

“One of the problems that we’ve had in the past is that we’d come out strong and then we would be comfortable with that,” DelosSantos-Branson said. “But today we came out strong and we were not comfortable, we wanted it and we had to keep up that energy in the second half.”

DelosSantos-Branson, who missed last season with an ACL injury, posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Sophia Tannura led with a game-high 20 points and added seven rebounds. Zoey Aleixo contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, while Ava Catanho finished with 12 points and four rebounds. As a team, the Bears hit for 11 3-pointers.

For Monroe, which advanced to the GMC Tournament final last year, Kiera Longo led with 17 points and five rebounds. Sophia Rivas recorded 10 points and six rebounds while Zoe Wilcher contributed nine points and four rebounds.

“Monroe is a great team, obviously they made it real far last year, they’ve owned us over the past couple of years,” Retzlaff said. Coach (Brian) Hinz is a great coach, so we really just wanted to play hard. We wanted to come in, we followed the game plan perfectly and shots fell in clutch situations."

East Brunswick lost leading rebounder Rotem Barda to graduation from last year’s team that went 13-14 and 9-5 in the Red Division. DelosSantos-Branson and Erika Riggio were the lone juniors and there were nine underclassmen on the roster, including Ava Catanho, who led the team in scoring as a freshman.

This season, there are two seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and one freshman, but East Brunswick is older and wiser after gaining valuable experience last year.

“Last year we were very young, we had a injury, we had players out with sickness, Zoey (Aleixo) was out, Julianna was out from an ACL,” Retzlaff said. “Last year was a good year and it was a good experience year, good building year getting ready for this year. We’re going to come in and take it one day at a time and it starts in practice. We have to come in, grind in practice, make practices as intense or more intense than game day and then hopefully we’ll have more results like tonight.”

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A 40,000-square-foot indoor pickleball club is scheduled to open in the middle of 2026 at the former Brunswick Square Mall in East Brunswick.

The new club will mark the third location in the state for The Picklr franchise.

The facility on Route 18 South will feature 13 pickleball courts with professional-grade surfacing from Just Courts, the official court provider for the Professional Pickleball Association and The Picklr.

The club is part of a larger redevelopment project at the mall site that will include residential, retail and commercial properties.

Tom Neale, founder of Arete Sports Group and franchise owner of The Picklr Manahawkin-Long Beach Island, said East Brunswick and the surrounding communities have “embraced pickleball.”

“This new club is designed not only to meet the needs of today’s players, but to fuel the sport’s continued growth across the region,” Neale said.

Members will have unlimited access to open play, league play and tournaments. They can also get private and semi-private lessons and clinics led by certified trainers.

Monthly memberships include four guest passes and four free clinics, plus access to a pro shop, locker room and private event space.

Memberships are valid at all Picklr locations in Manahawkin-LBI in Ocean County and Fair Lawn in Bergen County.

Arete Sports Group will manage and operate the East Brunswick facility.

The ownership group includes Neale and Scott Schubiger, former chief growth officer at The Picklr, who helped expand the brand to more than 500 sold locations globally.

The Picklr East Brunswick lease was negotiated with landlord Paramount Realty.

For more information about Picklr in East Brunswick, including details about founder memberships, visit their website or Facebook page.

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – The East Brunswick Education Foundation’s annual Barnes & Noble Book Fair drew strong community turnout this past weekend, as families, students, and educators came together to support literacy, creativity, and classroom innovation across the district. Held on December 6 and 7 at Barnes & Noble in East Brunswick, the two-day fundraiser once again demonstrated the township’s sustained commitment to its public schools.

Throughout the weekend, a steady stream of shoppers visited the store, knowing that 20 percent of every purchase would directly benefit East Brunswick students. Proceeds from the event help fund teacher-led initiatives, classroom enhancements, literacy programs, and student enrichment opportunities during the holiday season and well into the school year.

The event also included a full schedule of school performances, with students from each of the district’s elementary schools, Hammarskjold Upper Elementary School, Churchill Junior High School, and East Brunswick High School taking turns entertaining families and visitors. Choirs, instrumental groups, and other student performers helped bring a lively and celebratory atmosphere to the store.

Tables staffed by East Brunswick faculty, students, and parent volunteers featured crafts, contests, and student artwork. Many families also took part in the book donation initiative, purchasing titles requested by classroom teachers to help strengthen individual school libraries. At the Barnes & Noble Café, visitors could enjoy special Book Fair beverages such as the Sugar Cookie White Hot Chocolate and Caramel Hot Chocolate, featured throughout the event.

For residents unable to attend in person, the Foundation offered an online participation option through December 12 using the event’s Bookfair ID, expanding the reach of the fundraiser beyond the store.

Visit bn.com/bookfairs to support online from December 7, 2025 through December 12, 2025 using Bookfair ID 12921110.

About the East Brunswick Education Foundation

The East Brunswick Education Foundation (EBEF) has played a vital role in supporting innovative educational programs in the township for more than three decades. Established in 1993 by local residents and businesses, the Foundation has raised over $3 million to date, distributing approximately $3 million in grants while also building an endowment of more than $300,000.

Key characteristics of the EBEF include:

• A volunteer-driven organization with no paid staff and minimal administrative costs.• A multi-level grant approval process involving school administrators and professional educators.• A mission focused on funding programs that enrich curriculum and fall outside normal budget cycles.• Active pursuit of grants from corporations and organizations that can only be awarded to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.• Support for teachers applying for corporate and institutional grants.• Funding for educational initiatives ranging from $25 to several thousand dollars each year.

Led by President Randy Gagnon and supported by trustees and volunteers representing families, educators, administrators, and community members, the Foundation continues to strengthen the connection between East Brunswick schools and the broader community. Through partnerships, events, and ongoing fundraising efforts, the EBEF helps bring innovative learning opportunities into classrooms districtwide.

As the Book Fair concluded, Foundation leaders expressed gratitude for the enthusiastic turnout and ongoing support from local families. The success of this year’s event reflects the township’s deep belief in investing in young readers, writers, and scholars, ensuring that East Brunswick students thrive academically and creatively for years to come.

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - A 40,000 square foot pickleball facility is slated to open at the site of the Brunswick Square Mall in mid-2026, according to a press release. This will be The Picklr's third location in New Jersey, with facilities in Manahawkin and Fair Lawn.

“The Picklr is the fastest growing brand in the fastest growing sport because it offers the best membership value in pickleball,” said Tom Neale, the Founder of Arete Sports Group and Pickleball Long Island, and franchise owner of The Picklr Manahawkin-LBI, “East Brunswick and the surrounding communities have embraced pickleball, and this new club is designed not only to meet the needs of today’s players, but to fuel the sport’s continued growth across the region.”

According to the company, the new facility will have 13 courts with professional-grade outdoor surfacing from Just Courts, the official court layer for The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA). The courts will be on-site near the AMC Theater, with a part of the facility taking over some of the existing structure, according to a spokesperson for the company.

Members will have access to open play, league play, and tournaments. Private and semi-private lessons will be available to patrons, instructed by “certified Picklr trainers.” Members will also get four free guest passes, four free clinics every month, a full pro shop, locker room, private event space, and more.

Members at the Manahawkin and Fair Lawn locations will have access to the new facility in East Brunswick. For more information about membership, click here.

In March, the East Brunswick Council designated the Brunswick Square Mall as “An Area in Need of Redevelopment with Right of Condemnation.” Meaning the owners of mall property need to make some decisions. They can upgrade their property to meet current needs and address some issues like parking lot flooding, etc. They can sell their property to a business that will maximize the use of space and commercial viability of the location. They can do nothing and let the property be managed/sold/developed by East Brunswick.

“We believe that once players discover our first-class state-of-the-art premier facilities, all-inclusive member benefits, professional level playing conditions, and a wide range of programs for every age and skill level, they’ll choose The Picklr as their home for pickleball," said Tom Neale.