Region's Newest Olive Garden Opens at Stafford Park

Walters Group Welcomes First Restaurant to Mixed-use Redevelopment. End Quote

Ocean City, NJ (1888PressRelease) June 28, 2011 - Stafford Park's newest addition, Olive Garden, opened its doors to the public, making it the first restaurant to join the variety of successful retailers at the large-scale mixed-use redevelopment in southern Ocean County.

The 7,600-square-foot casual dining eatery was built on a pad site within the retail portion of the complex. The new "green" building features a number of sustainable design elements including recycled building materials and energy-efficient equipment and fixtures. As a result, the building has been awarded certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Italian restaurant is known for its Tuscan farmhouse design offers seating for more than 200 diners, plus a lounge that can seat about 60. This is the restaurant's second location in the southern Ocean County area. There are several locations in New Jersey and more than 700 restaurants in North America. Olive Garden's corporate parent is Darden Restaurants, a Florida company that also owns Red Lobster and four other chains.

"Stafford Park is an ideal location in this market for Olive Garden. It's become an attractive destination for both retailers and local shoppers," said Ed Walters, Jr., founder and partner of Walters Group.

Stafford Park is a LEED-certified redevelopment with the majority of corporate tenants attaining LEED-Silver certification. Currently, the roster of retailers reaping the savings of green building include Best Buy, Costco, Dick's Sporting Goods, PetSmart, Target, AT&T and Ulta. The Vitamin Shoppe reached LEED-Gold certification. In addition, atop the Best Buy, PetSmart and Dick's Sporting Goods there are solar arrays that provide 30 percent of the electrical needs of the stores. The center is situated off exit 63, at the southwest corner of the Garden State Parkway and Route 72 interchange.

Walters continues to utilize the latest sustainable building practices. All construction for the Stafford Park mixed-use redevelopment is expected to meet the standards of the LEED rating system. The retail portion of Stafford Park is registered with a certification goal of LEED Silver.

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