Highland Park will be losing the Stop & Shop supermarket in March 2023. What is the story behind this closure?

Background articles

My Central Jersey: What is Highland Park going to do when Stop & Shop closes? — With the borough facing the closing of Stop & Shop in March, officials are considering expanding access to existing food programs, organizing shuttle buses to nearby grocery stores and providing training and access to online food delivery platforms. At the same time borough officials are trying to get a grocery store to move into the 70-year-old building on Raritan Avenue, which would likely need renovations.

NJ 105: ‘Underperforming’ NJ Stop & Shop scheduled to close in the spring The supermarket chain informed New Jersey 101.5 on Monday that the store at 424 Raritan Avenue in Highland Park is scheduled to close its doors for good. According to a company spokesperson, the location will close on Mar. 23. “Stop & Shop conducts reviews of its business performance on a regular basis, and this store was identified as underperforming relative to financial expectation,” the spokesperson said. No other locations are slated to close, the company said.

=====================

Borough Initiatives Known to the Public

Borough Council Resolution

Introduction to Resolution: Stop & Shop Redevelopment Area: Borough Council passed a resolution designating the property known as Stop & Shop and several adjacent parcels as a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment. The Planning Board reviewed a report by LRK, Inc., the Borough’s Planner, and heard testimony at its December 8, 2022 meeting. They voted to adopt and accept the recommendation in the report to designate the Study Area as such. This designation which is governed by the NJ Local Redevelopment & Housing Law provides for the creation of a redevelopment plan for the designated area. The Council has indicated that such a plan will incentivize developers to use the site for a grocery store.
Resolution on Borough Website

FAQ on Stop and Shop Closing

See full FAQ on Borough website (Updated 1/9/2023)
Excerpt from FAQ:
WHAT COULD HAPPEN WITH THE STOP & SHOP PROPERTY?
The Stop & Shop property is owned by a family with long-term ties to Highland Park. They understand the importance of having a supermarket on the property. They have expressed a strong desire to work with the Borough to provide the best use possible for the site. At the current time, we are working on two parallel tracks.

TRACK ONE is to try and get a new supermarket tenant in the existing facility. The facility is old and a new tenant will likely require upgrades to it before moving in. There has been some interest from other supermarkets but nothing definitive at this time. The borough is working closely with Middlesex County and state officials to identify what sort of support and incentives are available to attract a new tenant. In addition, the Borough is working with the property owner and others to develop a prospect list of grocery stores that would be a good fit for Highland Park based on our location and demographics. The advantage of this track is it likely gets some kind of grocery store in the space sooner. However, there will be a gap in grocery store coverage (emphasis added) as the leasing process for a store such as this takes time and there will also be a need for significant renovations. It is unclear if there is a supermarket willing to go this route.

TRACK TWO is redevelopment of the entire site, incorporating a new grocery store as an anchor use in the new development. Last year, after a thorough study of the area and Planning Board review, the Borough Council declared the Stop & Shop site and adjacent parcels as a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment. The next step is the preparation of a redevelopment plan, which has already been authorized and is underway, that will help incentivize a grocery store use on the site among other things. The advantage of this approach is that, if successful, there would likely be an entirely new and upgraded supermarket facility, reconfigured parking, housing and perhaps other uses and facilities on the site. The disadvantage is that this could extend the time that the Borough would be without a supermarket. (emphasis added)
====================

Some questions to ask

• Which supermarket companies have been contacted and most importantly, how far along did those contacts get? Which company is furthest in the process and where is it in the process?
• What is the relationship between the supermarket resolution and the Highland Park redevelopment plan (latest plan as of July 13, 2021 )?
• Is there more that Borough Council could do? Is there anything the common citizen can do?

===================

“For people who are unable to travel to other supermarkets, of which there are hundreds in Highland Park, not being able to buy food is an emergency” — a concerned citizen

“Yes, the entire block of commercial properties from 4th to 5th fronting Raritan were deemed by the boro as in need of rehabilitation, regardless of their actual condition, so that they could they could be included as part of an attractive offer to a developer.” — also a quote by concerned citizen