Supermarket Giant Lidl May Be On Its Way To Cinnaminson

CINNAMINSON, NJ — Cinnaminson Township Committee will consider a pair of resolutions to bring German grocery store giant Lidl to Cinnaminson when it meets on Monday night, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m. at the municipal complex.

One resolution would allow for the sale of the Garden State Inn that currently stands on an area of land bound by Route 130 South and Highland Avenue, according to a post on the Cinnaminson NJ Community Connection Facebook page.

The other resolution authorizes an agreement for Lidl to open in the location currently occupied by the Garden State Inn.

The Garden State Inn currently stands on an over 10-acre tract of land that also includes a Friendly’s and a vacant parcel commonly referred to as “The Azalea Farm.”

In the post, Cinnaminson Mayor Anthony Minniti says the commercial area “has been the target of Township redevelopment efforts for over a decade.”

It hasn’t attracted any real interest, but Minniti credited an “innovative strategy” in helping to reverse the area’s fortunes.

Minniti credited the efforts of the township’s economic development team, headed by past Cinnaminson Mayor Michael Minton, for helping bring this project to fruition.

The economic development team consists of past mayors and current Committee Members John McCarthy and William “Ben” Young, as well as Township Administrator Michael King.

“The town was working with a regional developer who shared our vision for the site,” Minniti said. “It seemed that as the project was nearing the finish line, it began to bog down, which is never a good sign.

“When calls were not being returned, I believed the project’s future was in real jeopardy. So we called an immediate subcommittee meeting to see if we could develop a strategy.”

Minniti went on to say that Lidl agreed to one final meeting.

“I knew it would take bold action to bring Lidl back to the table,” Minniti said.

“We drew from our years of experience making these projects happen,” said Young, who Minniti credits as one of his closest Economic Development advisers. “When the mayor asked my opinion of the plan, I fully endorsed it.

The plan allowed Cinnaminson Township Committee to assume the role of “developer” in assembling control of the parcels under common ownership, officials said. This would facilitate the sale of the largest parcel, the Garden State Inn, to Lidl.

“Cinnaminson Township Committee designated itself to serve as the Township’s Redevelopment Authority,” Township Solicitor John Gillespie said. “That decision creates the opportunity for the Committee to take bold steps in the furtherance of the town’s redevelopment vision.”

That “final meeting” between the township and Lidl soon turned into a series of discussions.

“Basically, the plan allowed the Township to use its bonding capacity to gain control of the needed parcels and transfer, or ‘flip’ them to developers,” said McCarthy, who was mayor at the time the strategy was employed. “The town’s costs will be reimbursed by the developers of the project so there is no burden on our taxpayers.”

In September, Business Insider reported Lidl planned to open a litany of stores in the United States by 2018, with a heavy focus on the East Coast from New Jersey to Georgia. The unofficial number of new stores listed was about 150.

The chain, known for its rock bottom prices, already has more than 10,000 stores in 26 European countries, according to the report. It is considered to be a cross between Walmart and Trader Joe’s.

A concept plan for the project has been drafted and informally approved, according to Cinnaminson officials on Facebook. An official redevelopment and final design plan will be drafted in the coming weeks. Formal approval hearings are expected to begin in the summer.

Joining Lidl is Friendly’s Restaurant.

“Offering Friendly’s the ability to be a part of this project was a priority,” Young said.

According to King, the Garden State Inn's 97 rooms is more than all of the previous Motel Row establishments combined.

“The town is forced to commit significant resources to deal with crime and other ancillary issues generated by the Garden State Inn,” King said. “Criminal incidents range from petty crime all the way up to drugs, prostitution, and weapons offenses. … I cannot understate the importance of having The Garden State Inn closed.”

McCarthy agreed, calling the Inn a “persistent problem.

Minniti summed up the importance of this project.

“We refused to let our vision for this site die,” Minniti said. “ I couldn’t be more proud of our team and their effort.”