The Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva was proposing to build a 187,000-square-foot shopping center.
LAKEWOOD - Plans for 187,000-square-foot shopping center proposed by Beth Medrash Govoha, the nation's largest yeshiva, on are hold indefinitely, the Asbury Park Press reported.
Rabbi Aaron Kotler, the head of BMG, told the newspaper that he was sensitive to the abundance of concerns he heard the from the Jewish community over the Lakewood Shopping Village, which was proposed for the intersection of Pine Street and Avenue of the States.
Kotler added that some of the concerns from the yeshiva students involved an increased focus on materialism in Lakewood.
Lakewood residents have strongly opposed the retail development since it was proposed last year, as many have complained about traffic, overdevelopment and the yeshiva being involved in commercial projects, the Asbury Park Press reported.
More than 1,200 people, including many yeshiva students, signed a petition opposing the shopping center, the report said.
Officials gave no indication if the shopping center would be back before the planning board in the future, the report said.
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