Tag Archives: St. Georges Avenue

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Trees make way for 50 units at St. Georges site

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If you’re wondering why all those trees were cleared this summer along St. Georges Avenue, across from Stone Street, you’re not alone. Site work will begin next week for a 50-unit, three-story apartment complex. Jim Sisto, president of Westfield-based Sisto Realty, expects the foundation will be poured in the next month and construction completed by the spring.

If I read the zoning maps and application correctly, the building will be located near the center of the 5.13-acre site — perpendicular to St. Georges Avenue — with parking on either side (a total 98 spaces). The project needed variances for lot coverage (9.2 percent of the lot would be covered by the building) and parking. Of the 50 apartments, 37 are two-bedroom units and 13 are one-bedroom units, according to Sisto.

The story goes back several years. The project wasn’t very popular among neighborhood residents, at least according to minutes of the March 2003 Zoning Board meeting (.pdf). At that time, the board rejected a 60-unit application by a 6-1 vote. Sisto appealed to Superior Court, which remanded it back to the Zoning Board, according to city Construction Official Richard Watkins.

The amended application was approved as a 50-unit apartment building in 2004, with extensions granted by the Zoning Board each year through September 2009 as the developer had been waiting for approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection and state Department of Transportation.

Of the three lots (Block 168, Lots 23, 24 and 25), property data was available for only one (23.02), which indicated an assessed value of $306,100 for 3.3 acres and property taxes of approximately $15,000. The address will be 1319 St. Georges Ave.

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Commercial, Retail

Deal$ in line to replace Drug Fair space

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I know you all wanted a grocery store, but don’t hold your breath. It’s not quite another dollar store, but Deal$ looks like it will replace the former Drug Fair space by September, according to their Web site (follow the link to the “Coming Soon!” box at the bottom of the page; it’s a .pdf). No word from the landlord, Millburn-based Gelber Associates, on details of the lease.

UPDATE 8/20: New signage for the former Drug Fair space went up this week (photo at right), confirming that Deal$ will be taking over the location.

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Interesting story recently in New York magazine about the condo bust in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I’m not comparing Rahway to Williamsburg, to be sure, but maybe parallels on a smaller scale to some extent.

In transit village news, here’s a report last month from nj.com on Morristown’s new development ready to start selling units (at some, um, interesting prices).

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Commercial, Planning Board, Retail

Furniture store wants to subdivide building

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Planning Board members last week decided to hold off on an application to carve up a St. Georges Avenue site into four stores until they get more information.

Adidan Properties, LLC, of West New York, which owns 1713-1727 St. Georges Ave. (Block 210/Lot 9), is seeking to subdivide the space into a total of four commercial spaces. The one current tenant, Budget Furniture, would be among the four future tenants. Primarily for financial reasons, the owner and tenant compromised to relieve a hardship and subdivide the site, the applicant’s attorney told the Planning Board last week.

The applicant is seeking approval for a minor site plan with bulk variances, including a parking variance because the property only has 22 spaces in the rear, off Union Street. Depending on the interpretation of the city code, the site would be required to provide anywhere from 29 to 49 spaces.

The building is about 9,700 square feet and among its neighbors are a hair salon, pizzeria and Chinese restaurant. The existing site does not meet parking requirements and does not have room to add more. The applicant’s attorney argued that parking is a practical hardship and can be made an exception because it’s not a substantial detriment to the area.

Planning Board members, however, raised concerns about parking, truck traffic and delivery areas and questioned the wisdom of subdividing into four commercial spaces, creating stores that are less than 13 feet wide. City Engineer James Housten had requested various documents and surveys for which the applicant sought waivers. Officials also reminded the board that the city has been to court multiple times about issues relating to the store’s signage.

“This really needs to go back to the drawing board,” said Planning Board Vice Chairman William Hering, with too many questions and unknowns. The attorney asked that the board consider the application and respect the landlord’s judgment on the type of market that exists. The application is expected to come back to the board at its next meeting, July 28.

The property, at the corner of St. Georges and Union Street, is almost a half-acre, or almost 20,000 square feet, and is assessed at $490,000. Property taxes were about $23,300 last year and the property was acquired for $1.025 million in February 2004, according to Propertyshark.com.

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Readers want grocery store at Drug Fair site

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Blog readers are backing a grocery store at the former Drug Fair that closed last week on St. Georges Avenue, according to our latest poll.

In this nj.com report last week, there are two potential tenants in negotiations for the almost 14,000-square-foot space that takes up almost a quarter of the Drug Fair Shopping Center. There’s plenty of parking on site but Rahway Farm already sits next door and it’s not bad for a small grocery store.

As we’ve discussed previously, a Trader Joe’s — much less a Whole Foods — might be nice but seems like a long shot at best. Keep in mind also, as as competition for retail, the empty A&P store on Westfield Avenue in Clark is but two minutes away.

“What would you like to see replace Drug Fair?”
Grocery store, 51 percent (45/87 votes)
Bakery, 13 percent (12/87)
Bar/restaurant, 12 percent (11/87)
BYOB restaurant, 6 percent (6/87)
Pet store, 5 percent (5/87)
Home decor, 2 percent (2/87)
Shoe store, 2 percent (2/87)
Other, 2 percent (2/87)
Stationary shop, 0 percent (0/87)

The 0.8-acre property was assessed at almost $2.7 million in 2008 and paid nearly $132,000 last year, according to state property records. The landlord is Millburn-based Gelber Associates.

I tried to include store choices that were mentioned in the Rahway Survey but that didn’t do much for stationary shop. Anyone care to share their choice of “other,” a liquor store perhaps? The space is large enough, and probably too large in some cases, for most of these choices. A BYOB restaurant would avoid dealing with acquiring a liquor license, but I just don’t see it for that site.

And just in case you don’t have your fill of drug stores, construction on another Walgreen is under way on St. Georges Avenue in Colonia, barely two miles from the Rahway store.

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Commercial, Retail, St Georges Avenue

What to replace Drug Fair?

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Drug Fair filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and 31 of its stores were bought up by Walgreens, with plans to close 11. With a Walgreens just blocks away, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Rahway’s Drug Fair on St. Georges Avenue was among the 11 to close.

Continue reading What to replace Drug Fair? →

Bars, Rahway

Bachmann’s reconstruction moving along

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Could this be the fastest-moving project in Rahway?

The old Bachmann’s Tavern was knocked down last fall and construction on a new building started just a few months ago, with a frame going up by February. Six weeks later, fencing still surrounds the property at St. Georges and West Lincoln avenues but it looks like the roof, along with a steeple, has been completed and most windows installed.

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Bars, Rahway

New Bachmann’s rising on St. Georges

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It’s been a busy couple of weeks but I managed to snap a few photos of construction on the new Bachmann’s Tavern.

The project has been taking shape over the past several months. Demolition of the original building, near the corner of St. George’s and West Lincoln avenues, occurred last fall.

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ESPN Radio at Stewart’s

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For those of you who noticed a film crew at Stewart’s Drive-in on Jaques Avenue on Thursday, apparently ESPN Radio was filming a commercial for Mike & Mike in the Morning. They also used the St. Mark’s Church parking lot on Hamilton Street while doing other shoots around town. Thanks to all who emailed/commented with a heads-up.

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