Tag Archives: retail

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Before and after

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Here’s a little before (left) and after (right) comparison of 1505 Main St., after recent improvements to the facade and other renovations.

The Planning Board approved the project in April 2008, with work starting around Labor Day and lasting several weeks. The “after” photo on the right was taken last week.

Looks like the only thing left to do on the exterior is a new awning and some signage for the Chinese takeout place on the left side and the beauty salon on the right side. It’s a slow week, I’ll shoot for more scintillating news in future posts.

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Commercial, Downtown, Rahway

After many months, dessert cafe opens

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The windows are no longer covered and there was some activity as I drove home along Irving Street last night: InTheMix dessert cafe is open.

We first reported in May that the cafe would be coming to the corner of Irving and West Main streets and it finally opened last night. It’s been almost a year since a photo and camera shop left the 1,200-square-foot space.

If anyone pays a visit to InTheMix, let us know what you think.

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Commercial, Downtown, office space

Woodruff Building on the block

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One of my favorite buildings in Rahway, The Woodruff Building on the corner of Irving and Lewis streets, went on the block this month with an asking price of $799,000. Sure, it could use some sprucing up, but I like buildings with a name etched in the cornerstone or along the top floor; it adds a bit of character and some history. (When I get a chance, I’ll track down some info on this Woodruff fellow.)

The two-story structure at 1439 Irving St./62 Lewis St. consists of about 9,500 square feet, with offices on the second floor and the Rahway Dance Theatre and retail space occupying the ground floor. Built in 1920, the property is assessed at about $300,000, paying property taxes of roughly $15,200.

Earlier this decade, the building was eyed as the new location for The Waiting Room. Owner Chris Wenson said he had a deal to buy it in 2000 for $450,000 from Leung Chen but couldn’t until the Redevelopment Agency bought the old Waiting Room, which relocated to make way for the parking deck and hotel. By the time the city came up with the money to buy The Waiting Room three years later, he said Chen decided not to sell. “It would have made a nice restaurant but it would not have been as big as what we have now,” said Wenson, who opened at his East Cherry Street location in 2006. The Waiting Room closed at Lewis and Main streets in 2004.

I recall some opposition at the time to relocating the existing Rahway Dance Theatre, which still is a tenant along with two second-floor office tenants. Chen sold the property for $800,000 two years ago to the current owner, an entity called 1439 Irving St., LLC which lists a Bryant Street address, according to property records.

Wenson said his father owned The Woodruff Building when he was a child and his dad and uncle had their offices there, recalling a time capsule buried in one of the walls during the ’70s.

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Commercial, Parking, Planning Board, Rahway, Retail, St Georges Avenue

Board rejects splitting St. Georges Ave. store

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The Planning Board Tuesday night unanimously rejected an application to divide a St. Georges Avenue furniture store into three parcels. The application, which originally proposed to split the property into four commercial spaces, was continued from the June meeting when board members had too many questions to vote.

The revised application, though, still had too many questions for Planning Board members, and too many concerns about the impact on parking and traffic in the neighborhood. The rear lot, off Union Street, has about 15 parking spaces, which rarely have more than a handful of cars parked, according to the applicant. The application needs a parking variance since zoning regulations normally would require 32, though it is a pre-existing issue.

The improvements proposed in large part are required anyway, said Planning Board member and City Code Official Richard Watkins, and zoning enforcement could rectify issues with buffers, lighting and signage.

Resident Stefan Williams testified that the application would further aggravate parking problems along the 700 block of Union Street. Parking at the site could increase with additional tenants, but also once business improves, creating more competition for parking along Union Street, he said, which already deals with alternative side parking and a dearth of on-street residential parking.

Williams said there already is an unreasonable amount of traffic on Union Street and the applicant failed to show an exceptional or undue hardship. Board members seemed to agree that a weak economy didn’t justify the relief sought by a variance. Williams testified that the property currently is a viable commercial space and would be better than two vacant spaces, since the property owner testified that he hasn’t yet recruited potential tenants.

“The place is a mess,” said board member William Hering. “I don’t know that this’ll help the site. At the last meeting we said it’s too much on too little, and it still is.”

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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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