Tag Archives: commercial

Commercial, Downtown, Polls, Retail

Poll results: two clear leaders for retail options

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Almost 100 votes in our latest poll and two clear leaders finished ahead, with a pretty close third, among the 10 options:

What store would you like to see downtown?
Specialty food store — 23 percent, 21/91
Bakery/bagel shop — 21 percent, 20/91
Coffee shop — 16 percent, 15/91
Liquor store/wine shop — 8 percent, 8/91
Butcher — 8 percent, 8/91
Bar/restaurant — 7 percent, 7/91
Other — 6 percent, 6/91
Books/news/magazines — 4 percent, 4/91
Art/art supply — 2 percent, 2/91
Clothing — 0 percent, 0/91
Furniture — 0 percent, 0/91

So, it looks like you all want a specialty food store, bakery/bagel shop, and coffee shop the most. While most of you seem to want a grocery store, a specialty food store could be an interesting draw. Any suggestions exactly? I would think it’s key to have shops that might not be found elsewhere, and that could mean “specialty” just about anything.

Most of the choices in our latest poll could very well be combined into the same shop; a bakery that has bagels, and a nice coffee house space, and maybe specialty foods? Of course, just recently there was a bakery/pastry shop downtown but it didn’t last; so is it a matter of people saying they want something, but practically speaking, not using or patronizing it? I still think we’re desperate for a good bagel shop downtown, as well as a liquor store/wine shop — and not the kind that were downtown before. A liquor store would make a great complement to BYO restaurants.

What were some of your options for the six “other” votes? It’s clear that readers don’t want a clothing store or furniture store. Kind of surprising to be honest, as was the art/art supply choice. I mean, if it’s an arts town, you’d think and art or art supply shop would work, and in the same vein, perhaps an artsy type of specialty furniture store. Know what I mean? After all, the Rahway Survey (remember that?) recommended a strategy of recruiting retail related to arts and entertainment.

Free free to discuss in the comments below.

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Zoning Board rejects apartments for store

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The Zoning Board of Adjustment narrowly rejected a proposal to convert a West Scott Avenue convenience store into three residential apartments.

After about two hours of testimony at its Feb. 27 meeting, the application for 497-503 W. Scott Ave. (Block 239, Lot 52) was not approved by the board, 4-3. Assessed at $189,000, the site had property taxes of almost $11,000 last year.

The Scott Ave. Grocery and Deli, formerly J&J Food Mart, is located at the corner of Oliver Street and West Scott Avenue, and is an existing, nonconforming commercial use in a single-family zone. The original plan called for two three-bedroom apartments of more than 900 square feet and one two-bedroom apartment of 800 to 822 square feet, which was eventually was changed to three two-bedroom units.

Several neighbors testified for and against the application. Those against the application worried that more tenants would bring more problems with loitering and exacerbate parking issues, considering a six-unit apartment complex across the street. Those in favor of the application preferred a residential use to alleviate existing issues of traffic and parking related to the single-story store, including customers using their driveway to turn around, as well as concerns about crime. The owners testified they had been robbed three times, twice around 1998 and once in 2008.

Board members expressed concerns about recreational space for potential tenants’ children as well as flooding issues. The property was flooded with about a foot of water during Hurricane Irene last summer and the application included plans to raise the existing three-bedroom apartment several feet as well as move utilities to the roof. Board members also feared the property would likely end up looking like a converted convenience store regardless of aesthetic renovations.

Owners of the property, who had owned the store between 1991 and 1998, testified that business is down since reacquiring the store in 2009. Witnesses for the applicant testified that ideally, someone would acquire the property, demolish the building and construct a single-family home for a better fit in the neighborhood. That’s not economically feasible, however, and presented this application as the best they could do with the site.

The three board members who voted in favor of the application were Egon Behrmann, Joseph Gibilisco and Ray Lopez. The four who voted against were Paula Braxton, James Pellettiere, James Heim and Adrian Zapotocky.

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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? →

Commercial, Downtown, restaurants, Retail

East Cherry Street eatery closes

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After about 18 months in operation, Casa Borinquen on East Cherry Street closed last week. The eatery specializing in Puerto Rican fare opened in March 2010.

Continue reading East Cherry Street eatery closes →

City Council

$165k for police assistance center

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A multipurpose bond ordinance to be considered by City Council next week includes $165,000 for equipment and improvements for a police community assistance center currently undergoing renovations on East Cherry Street. The governing body is scheduled to approve several bond ordinances at its meeting on April 11.

The $1-million bond ordinance, which includes the purchase of various equipment and improvements, calls for a down payment of $8,250 and issuing $156,750 in bonds. The city acquired the former Beverage Shop building at 52 E. Cherry St. last spring from the Rahway Center Partnership for $80,000 and plans for the police center were announced last fall.

The $165,000 is for “pretty much everything we need to open the building as a police facility,” said Police Chief John Rodger, including furniture and equipment, such as IT infrastructure, for a 30-capacity conference room. Rodger said the interior has been slightly redesigned and the Juvenile Detective Bureau will be moved into the building full time. The video system for East Cherry Street also will be moved there and cameras will be added for Lot B and the driveway accessing it from East Cherry Street.

Renovations to the center have counted on donations to this point, said Rodger, estimating that less than $15,000 has been spent so far. Pending expenses including flooring, ceiling and Sheetrock work, the chief said, adding that he’s working on getting all material donated for the electrical work as well as volunteers from an electrical union to do the work.

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This Wall Street Journal story from last week, All Not Cake on Hoboken’s Washington Street, indicates that even everyone’s favorite cool city is having some difficulty when it comes to retail tenants. About a dozen storefronts along an eight-block stretch of downtown are currently closed, though some new tenants are on the way, according to the WSJ story. Rents vary, with spaces closer to the train station more expensive, as much as $100 per square foot while uptown locations rent for as little as $2 or $3 per foot.

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Some more storefront shuffling

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Catching up on some more retail turnover in the past few weeks, one of the longest tenured stories on East Cherry Street closed. Big Belly Deli opened in spring 2005 but it looks like the owner has some bigger issues to worry about now.

In case you hadn’t seen this story over the weekend from The Star-Ledger/nj.com, the owner of the deli and another man were accused by police of driving around the Rutgers University campus, shooting deer without hunting permits, and bringing the carcasses back to the deli — oh, and they allegedly were intoxicated too. “Authorities have not determined if the deer meat…allegedly brought into the store was sold to customers,” according to the story.

A “Business For Sale” sign was in the window a couple of weeks ago while the deli had closed in February. I’d heard some rumblings about the reason behind the closing but hadn’t been able to confirm that to post about it.

A newcomer to East Cherry Street appears to be Pet Essentials. Stenciled signage in the window at 43 E. Cherry St. indicates a place called Pet Essentials will be taking up space there. It’s essentially been vacant since the Rahway Art Hive moved down the block to Main Street last summer. The flier in the window seems to indicate an April opening for the pet supply store.

Speaking of The Art Hive, I’ve been told Jim McKeon, the man behind the Art Hive, is on hiatus traveling for the spring and closed up the art gallery and co-op studio last month.

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A story last month in The New York Times takes a look at continued redevelopment efforts in Asbury Park (Asbury Park’s Boardwalk Revival Moves Inward).

Some key takeaways:

* “Recent development projects and a growing restaurant scene have helped potential investors see the town as one that was ‘moving forward,’ and that its creative history had attracted a passionate crew.”

* Market-rate rents for street-level retail spaces range from $12 to $15 a square foot.

* “A soft economy and a lack of parking and pedestrian traffic had kept business from truly booming.”

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