Tag Archives: downtown

Commercial, Downtown, Retail

Aromalicious cafe up for sale

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Aromalicious, we hardly knew ya. The Portuguese pastry shop opened for business just around the start of 2011 and barely lasted a year. A few weeks ago, a sign on the front door indicated the shop was closed for vacation and more recently a “Business for Sale” sign has graced the storefront at  85 E. Cherry St.

Across the street, it appears a clothing store has opened, next to the Cherry Street Farmer’s Market, and further up the street, a beauty supply shop has taken over the space at 43 E. Cherry St. that was occupied by Pet Essentials, which moved around the corner to the former Kataluma Chai space on Main Street.

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City Council, Commercial, Downtown, Polls

Poll results: Which grocery store do you want?

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The phenomenon that is Trader Joe’s jumped out to a strong, early lead in our latest poll and held steady for weeks at the 60 percent mark until voting closed last night. It was really a race for second place from the start:

Continue reading Poll results: Which grocery store do you want? →

Polls

Poll: What kind of grocery store do you want?

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It’s time for another fun blog post, like a new poll. It was mentioned during the annual reorganization meeting of the City Council that the city is in discussions to bring a grocery store downtown, upward of 20,000 square feet in size. A grocery store has long been among the top priorities for residents, so our next poll question isn’t whether you want a grocery store downtown, but what kind?

Which grocery store would you prefer downtown?
Aldi
A&P
Bravo/C-Town
Fairway Market
Pathmark
ShopRite
Stop & Shop
Supreme
Trader Joe’s
Whole Foods
Other

Given the proximity of a few (ShopRite, A&P, Aldi, Trader Joe’s), the demographics of some (Whole Foods) and the size of others (Wegman’s), I doubt whether these are realistic possibilities for downtown but we needed to give you something to vote for. For some perspective, of the 10 or so Whole Foods stores in New Jersey, the smallest is about 17,000 square feet (Montclair), so I’m not sure what could fit downtown, if anything.

Consider the “Other” option for any boutique or single-location store you might be familiar with, and feel free to share details in the comments. Who knows, maybe someone who can do something about it is reading.

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Apartments, Downtown

120-unit Meridia Chateau proposed at Savoy site

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A 120-unit rental complex proposed for the former Savoy site would nearly four times the size of previous plan’s density. The Savoy, which broke ground in 2006 at the corner of Monroe and Main streets but stalled and went into default last year, was to be a 36-unit, two-bedroom condo development.

Continue reading 120-unit Meridia Chateau proposed at Savoy site →

City Council

Bond ordinance increased for building removal

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The City Council this month unanimously approved an amendment increasing a bond ordinance by $85,000 for work related to the demolition of an East Cherry Street building last year.

At its Jan. 9 meeting, the governing body amended an ordinance from $200,000 to $285,000 (an increase of 42 percent) for work that included demolition of 65 E. Cherry St., which occurred in May (after the facade collapsed last February) and was paid for via a $75,000 emergency resolution in June). The ordinance also included funds for improvements to Lot B on Main Street.

City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier said the increase was needed for additional engineering costs to shore up the sides of the neighboring buildings, and ensure that when the building was removed, the adjoining basements were not affected. The city has placed liens on the work for the property, he added.

Developer Dornoch Holdings purchased the property for $65,000 from the Parking Authority and more than four years ago had proposed renovations to the Planning Board but those never went anywhere.

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Uncategorized

Sheriff’s sale on Riverwalk units next month

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A $5.255-million sheriff’s sale on the remaining 19 unsold townhouses at Riverwalk is scheduled for Feb. 8, Redevelopment Agency attorney Frank Regan reported to commissioners at their meeting earlier this month. Bank of America likely will purchase the 19 units at the sheriff’s sale and then look to sell them, Regan told commissioners.

Foreclosure on the 19 unsold units began in late 2009. A total of 86 units were built, with a plan to add more on an adjacent parcel that never materialized. About two dozen Riverwalk units that are owned won judgments on their tax appeals last year, seeing their assessments reduced by as much as $20,000 and their taxes by $1,000.

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Well, check this out: A study by the National Trust for Historic Preservation claims that retrofitting an existing building to make it 30 percent more efficient will “essentially always remain a better bet for the environment than a new building built tomorrow with the same efficiencies,” according to The Atlantic.

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Apartments, Downtown

New concept for The Savoy site to be presented

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A new concept plan for the defunct Savoy project — likely to be several times larger than the 36 units originally envisioned — is expected to be presented to the Redevelopment Agency next week.

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City Hall Plaza, Redevelopment Agency

Agency closes on sale for Water’s Edge parcel

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The Redevelopment Agency last month closed on the $1-million sale of a three-quarter-acre parcel where a 108-unit rental complex will begin construction this spring. Pompton Plains-based Capodagli Property Company will undertake the project under the name Meridia Water’s Edge Urban Renewal, LLC.

Continue reading Agency closes on sale for Water’s Edge parcel →