Montclair Debates 'Redevelopment' at Lackawanna Plaza

The plan to redevelop Lackawanna Plaza marches ahead, but what the final vision will end up looking like is still up for debate.

During a public workshop held on Monday, representatives from the municipal planning board discussed the Township Council’s recent designation of nine properties around Lackawanna Plaza as an “area in need of redevelopment,” and what that could mean for residents and business owners in the neighborhood.

[See the list of affected properties here]

Designating a property as an area in need of redevelopment allows a municipal government to take certain legal actions that they wouldn’t normally be allowed, including seizing properties through the use of eminent domain, as per New Jersey law.

According to Hoboken-based planning consultant Paul Grygiel, the designated properties - which are currently owned by Hampshire Real Estate Companies and Pinnacle Companies - are currently zoned as C-1 commercial, which allows for building heights of up to eight stories if incentives are provided.

Although there are no set plans as of now, proposed ideas for development include restaurant, retail and residential uses, as well as the construction of a “municipal complex” on the eastern portion. Such a municipal complex could potentially host the township government and the municipal police department, added Grygiel.

The site is currently home to a shopping center with several retail stores and restaurants, including the Pig & Prince and an A&P-owned Pathmark supermarket.

One of the most vocal critics of the proposed redevelopment has been The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P), which has over 30 years remaining on its lease.

An attorney for A&P attended the Township Council’s March 10 meeting in protestation of the designation.

“We are particularly stressed over the use of crime statistics as the basis for the designation,” the attorney told council members. “We are further distressed when we read the public notice that reserves the right to use eminent domain. We think that we can work with you, but with the specter of eminent domain hanging over us as a tenant, it becomes very difficult.”

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