Amazon Fresh Is Lackawanna’s New Supermarket, Montclair Official Says

MONTCLAIR, NJ — When the name “Amazon Fresh” passed David Cummings’ lips at Tuesday’s town council meeting in Montclair, an audible gasp could be heard from the crowd. That’s how charged the discussion about a long-maligned “food desert” in the town’s 4th Ward has become – and how urgent the Lackawanna Plaza Redevelopment Plan is for the neighborhood.

Ever since Pathmark closed their store at Lackawanna Plaza in 2015, nearby residents have been left without a supermarket in walking distance. Read More: Death Of A Supermarket: Montclair Pathmark In Lackawanna Plaza Closes

The need for a replacement has become deeply intertwined with a controversial real estate project – the Lackawanna Plaza Redevelopment Plan – which the town council approved on Tuesday. Read More: Green Light For Lackawanna: Montclair Council Takes Long-Awaited Vote

Other brand names have been floated as possibilities for the empty space left behind by Pathmark. During a Montclair Planning Board meeting in 2019, it was revealed that Lidl, a German supermarket chain, was trying to bring a new store to the property. But when the plan proposed by the previous developer – The Hampshire Companies and The Pinnacle Companies – hit a brick wall, everything went back to the drawing board.

Now – with a new developer at the helm, BDP Holdings – there may be another contender.

During Tuesday’s council meeting, Cummings dropped a bombshell when he told attendees about the latest supermarket that he says will be coming to the plaza (watch his comments in the video below, cued to the discussion).

“For you all to know, the grocery store that being proposed is Amazon Fresh,” the councilman said, igniting murmurs in the crowd.

Cummings – who opined that the brand isn’t a good fit for Montclair – brought up his 89-year-old father as an example.

“He doesn't have an Amazon Prime card,” Cummings said, adding that he’s also concerned about high prices and a lack of cashiers at registers.

“This project is going to have a tremendous impact on our town,” he insisted.

“A lot of what I've heard here tonight was like – ‘What I want’ – I'm about ‘What do you need?’” the councilman said. “And what we need is a viable grocery store that fits the community.”

Later in the meeting, another council member, Robert Russo, also commented on the supermarket situation at Lackawanna Plaza, opining that a “union-friendly” agreement should be signed with any company that ultimately moves into the space.

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