Middlesex Borough: Construction begins on new apartments; supermarket will open early in 2019

MIDDLESEX BOROUGH – The revitalization of the Lincoln Boulevard corridor continues with construction beginning this week on a 200-unit apartment building.

After the vacant office building on the property is demolished, The View at Middlesex will be built on property next to the empty Pathmark, which will reopen next year as a PriceSaver Fresh Marketplace.

PriceSaver Fresh Marketplace will contain a TrueValue Hardware section and a pharmacy, according to a news release by Forte Real Estate Development, headquartered on South Avenue. Cub Liquors will remain at the west side of the building

Forte also developed The Lofts in Middlesex, the 146-unit apartment building west of the new development on Lincoln Boulevard.

“Our goal has always been to bring a new, exciting and community-friendly development to Middlesex,” Massimo Pinelli, president of Forte, said in the release. “This supermarket is a great addition to the development and the town. It will bring jobs and tax revenue to Middlesex and provide a much-needed grocery store to residents on and around Lincoln Boulevard. We have responded to the request of the local community and we are eager to deliver on our promise as soon as possible.”

Pathmark was originally going to be replaced by a Super Foodtown, but Forte announced the new tenant will be PriceSaver Fresh Marketplace, owned by Supermarkets Plus — a company created by Appletree Capital, a Chicago private entity firm.

According to the Supermarkets Plus website, the limited liability company is currently opening stores in Northern Jersey under the PriceSaver Marketplace brand. The company also owns Fresh4Less, CeeBee’s Finer Food and Farmer Jack.

The business strategy of Supermarkets Plus, according to its website, is to focus on smaller family-operated grocery store chains that are ready for consolidation while maintaining their identity as a “hometown grocer.”

Those interested in working for the store can email resumes to HR@SupermarketsPlus.com.

No firm date has been set for the store’s opening, though Forte said it is expected in the first quarter of 2019.

The View at Middlesex will also contain three retail spaces, along with amenities for residents.

“Our goal is to bring to life the vision Middlesex Borough has for Lincoln Boulevard by building on the success of The Lofts,” Pinelli said.

According to Forte, which has also completed townhouse projects in Piscataway,The Lofts reached 100 percent occupancy within weeks of leasing beginning. It was the largest construction project in Middlesex Borough over the last two decades.

Forte’s announcement comes after the borough’s Economic Development Committee completed a series of public meetings on suggested changes to the borough’s redevelopment plan for Lincoln Boulevard.

Among the recommendations were traffic improvements, such as updated signage and pedestrian safety measures; allowing outdoor dining and drive-thru windows for banks; consider “innovation centers” as a permitted use; allow the use of parking decks; restrict building height to no more than 60 feet; and ensure a buffer zone between the redevelopment areas on Lincoln Boulevard and the existing residential neighborhoods.

The redevelopment of Lincoln Boulevard has become a major priority for borough officials.

The corridor at the southern edge of town was once the heart of the borough’s economy. Located next to the railroad tracks, it was a prime location for industry that provided jobs for residents in the post-World War II boom while the rest of the borough was known for its greenhouses and being the world’s largest producer of orchids.

But as the country’s industrial base eroded in the late 20th century, Lincoln Boulevard began a slow decline with businesses closing, jobs vanishing and the borough’s property tax base evaporating.

(By Mike Deak /  December 18, 2018 / https://eu.mycentraljersey.com/)