Montclair’s Lackawanna Plan Lacks A Consensus

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair’s Lackawanna Plaza needs redevelopment; that’s one thing the community seems to agree on. But what shape and form that redevelopment may take is proving to be a thorny issue.

A plan is in the works to revamp and revitalize the plaza – located near the historic Lackawanna train station and the defunct Pathmark grocery store – which would allow a developer to build 350 residential units and a 65,000-square foot supermarket along Bloomfield Avenue and Grove Street.

The area – designated as an “Area in Need of Redevelopment” in 2015 - is bordered to the north by Glenridge Avenue, to the east by Block 4202, Lots 2 and 5, to the south by Bloomfield Avenue, and to the west by Lackawanna Plaza and Greenwood Avenue.

Citing conflicts with the Montclair Master Plan – a document which lays out the acceptable uses for new development in town – the Montclair Planning Board rejected the Lackawanna plan in July, insisting that developers need to scale back the project’s mass and density.

The local Economic Development Committee expects to meet with the Planning Board in early September to share amendments to the plan that may get the ball rolling again, NorthJersey.com reported.

Learn more about the draft plan here.

Here’s how a website for the project describes the current condition of Lackawanna Plaza:

“The site currently consists of two parcels, separated by Grove Street. The west side of Grove Street is home to the historic former Delaware Lackawanna & Western railroad terminal, which is now occupied by a restaurant, a vacant approximately 20,000 square foot office building, a vacant former Pathmark supermarket and an enclosed, nearly abandoned shopping mall. The east side of Grove Street is currently used for surface parking to serve the retail uses on the west parcel.”

And here’s how the property owners, Hampshire Real Estate Companies and the Pinnacle Companies, describe their plans for the reborn Lackawanna Plaza:

“The redevelopment plans propose residential space on both sides of Grove Street. The building on the west side will encompass three stories of residential living over the ground-level supermarket, and the building on the east side will encompass four stories of residential living over one story of partial basement parking garage. The design of this redevelopment proposal will utilize a significant amount of open space, pedestrian connections and walkways to ensure Grove Street no longer acts as a barrier between the two parcels. This proposal is designed such that the space between buildings is similar to the space between buildings on either side of Bloomfield Avenue. The parking lot fronting on Bloomfield Avenue will be replaced with a beautiful open space plaza, enhancing the area with creative landscaping and lively sidewalk streetscapes. Overall, more than 86,000 square feet of open space will be created to facilitate a vibrant center of activity for the community to enjoy.”

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Local community members in the area have been vocal about the need for a supermarket in the 4th Ward to replace the now defunct Pathmark, which closed in 2015.

• See related article: Montclair’s 4th Ward Is Facing ‘Food Insecurity,’ Needs Grocery Store
• See related article: Death Of A Supermarket: Montclair Pathmark In Lackawanna Plaza Closes

THE OPPOSITION

Local activist group Save Montclair has been a vocal critic of the current plan, lambasting a host of problems that will allegedly result from the plan and town officials’ lack of “due diligence”:

• Bulky structures, massive oversized footprints and building heights
• Parking/traffic issues
• Additional demands to nearby public services and infrastructure
• Effects on “quality of life”
• Negative effects on historical preservation

Save Montclair members say that despite the need for a supermarket in the area, it’s important not to fast-track a potentially harmful development plan.

“We all know this area needs a grocer but no matter what is decided, any supermarket is years away,” the group states. “Most importantly, the retail food market industry is changing rapidly with competition from internet grocers and meal deliveries as well as lower profit margins and the inefficiencies and high cost of brick and mortar sites. Plans made today will likely be obsolete for construction four or five years off.”

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Patch file photo