Demolition began late last week on the former Power & Fitness building, about 50 weeks after the St. Georges Avenue site was approved for a new Wawa convenience store and gas station.

The site at 280 St. Georges Ave., directly across Route 27 from the Galaxy Diner, unanimously was approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment during a meeting in August 2016.

The application called for a 5,051-square foot convenience store and 5,280-square foot canopy over six fuel pumps that will operate 24 hours a day. The rear of the property is bordered by Tehama Street and Remsen Street dead-ends into the property. An entrance and exit will be located along St. Georges Avenue (although no left turns will be allowed onto St. Georges) and access also will be provided via Murray Street (Lot 4, 132 Murray St.).

The property most recently generated a tax bill of about $76,736 based on an overall assessment of $1,175,500 for the 2017 tax year. The tax assessment as a Wawa is as yet undetermined.

Power & Fitness closed at the end of 2014 and prior to that operated as a Pyramid Fitness. The previous use as a gym was granted variances in 1993, which included Remsen Street.

The 3.6-acre property, which is made up of two lots (Block 6, Lots 3 and 4) was purchased for $2.3 million in April. The entity 280 St. Georges Ave., LLC, purchased the property from Rahway-based Giacobbe and Sons Contractors.

St. Georges Ave., LLC lists the same Lavallette address as AST Development Corporation. The company partnered with two other developers to build the 116-unit Metro Rahway on Campbell Street and also is the developer of a 219-unit project at the Center Circle site on Main Street that gained approval from the Planning Board earlier this year. The firm also developed projects for the Union County Improvement Authority (UCIA) including the Park Madison office complex in Plainfield and the $56-million Roselle Mind and Body Complex.