A major redevelopment is forcing many businesses inside a Middlesex County mall to either close down or move elsewhere.

Several businesses in the Brunswick Square Mall said they received a notice that they won't be coming back next year.

"It kind of just came out of nowhere. The mall was getting a little bit more dead by the day, but we just found out that our lease is terminated out of nowhere. We're closing at the end of the year. So, we were forced to go look at new spots," said Jonathan Sultan, co-owner of Allure Jewelry and Watches.

In March, the East Brunswick Township Council designated the mall as a condemnation redevelopment area. That means the town has the legal authority to acquire the property for a public project.

The decision is part of a larger renovation project along Route 18 in the township.

"The idea of now coming down to the mall bookends the highway with our most important and our most valuable real estate to try to have an opportunity through redevelopment designation for the town to have a say in what the ultimate product looks like," East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen said at a Township Council meeting in March.

As recently as September, Cohen said no final decisions had been made but the plan was to transform the property into a mixed-use space for retail, residential, and community operations.

"It doesn't work in a 2025 environment. It doesn't mean that we're getting rid of all retail. It just needs to be reworked in a way that works in 2025," he said in March.

While employees told News 12 some stores will remain in the mall throughout the renovations, many businesses said there's no place there for them or their employees at this moment.

"We're going to be going to a different spot. So, it wasn't too bad because they're still keeping their jobs, but they're probably going to be out of a job for like a month," Sultan said. "I don't know how long construction is going to take, but we have to keep running our business. So, I don't think we're going to be coming back, but if it's an option in the future, we're always open to it."