Wayne residents have waited more than six years for a planned redevelopment of the Preakness Shopping Center. They’ll be waiting for at least two more.
The Wayne Township Planning Board recently approved another extension for the stalled project—pushing the deadline to January 2028, according to TAPinto Wayne.
The approval marks the second time since the original 2019 plan that developers have been granted extra time to begin construction on the site. Now, the vacant storefront will remain for two more years.
The Pattern of Delays
The original plan approved in 2019 and 2020 promised mixed-use development: 244 residential units alongside new retail construction.
Township officials embraced the concept as a way to revive the struggling shopping center with new businesses, while adding to the town’s housing supply.
But construction never started.
In 2024, developers secured the first extension—citing the pandemic, rising interest rates, infrastructure work at nearby intersections, and uncertainty within the retail market. Developers again used the same arguments at a Planning Board discussion this month.
It’s been a frustrating situation for proponents of the project. The Preakness Shopping Center remains mostly empty with more than half of its storefronts vacant. And for those vying for new housing in Wayne, it’s yet another broken promise.
A Mayor’s Frustrated Acceptance
During the Planning Board meeting, Wayne Mayor Chris Vergano acknowledged the community’s frustration. But he stopped short of holding the developer accountable.
“Everybody hates what the Preakness Shopping Center looks like, including me, it looks terrible,” Vergano said. “I tell people, ‘You don’t like what it looks like? Don’t look.'”
Vergano argued that denying the extension would hurt the township since the property remains a significant taxpayer.
The Bigger Picture
The Preakness Shopping Center delays exist against a larger conversation about transforming Wayne’s Hamburg Turnpike corridor into a walkable downtown district. In 2025, officials discussed rezoning approximately 100 acres to include mixed-use residential, retail, and restaurant development, which would bring an economic boost to the community.
But, as Preakness sits abandoned, a vision of Hamburg redevelopment appears very far away. Six years after approval, with another two-year extension secured, Wayne has nothing to show but empty storefronts to show for it.
For a community begging for revitalization, it’s not a solution. It’s a broken promise.
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