On-going Litigation Stalls Construction of Wyckoff ShopRite

Inserra Supermarkets remains committed to bringing a modern ShopRite supermarket to the Township of Wyckoff despite recent legal actions filed by the owners of a neighboring shopping center and grocer.

The Mahwah-based company, which owns and operates 22 ShopRite stores, earned the unanimous approval of the township’s Planning Board in February 2013, following 38 public meetings. However, on-going litigation has stalled construction and breaking ground.

“Each of the rulings in favor of Inserra Supermarkets and the local and county boards have been an affirmation of the tireless efforts and unwavering commitment of all to redevelop the distressed, abandoned site, which has become an eyesore in Wyckoff’s central business district,” said Lawrence Inserra, Jr., president and CEO of the family-owned supermarket chain.

“Residents and all interested parties were offered a voice in a lengthy, in-depth three-year public hearing process, during which traffic and safety concerns, architectural and landscaping improvements, drainage issues and parking regulations all were addressed,” he added. “No stone was left unturned by the local and county boards and development team, whose concerns included the best interests of the township’s residents and business owners.”

Once the final resolution was adopted almost 20 months ago, Stop & Shop and the owner of Boulder Run Shopping Center filed separate law suits in Superior Court against Inserra Supermarkets and the Township of Wyckoff. Prior to dismissing the entire case, the courts also ruled in Inserra’s favor that a supermarket was a permitted use for the site, a fact contested by Stop & Shop, who originally built it as a supermarket. Stop & Shop also opposed approvals from the Bergen County Planning Board, which had its decision affirmed by the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Stop & Shop is now disputing the Board of Chosen Freeholders’ ruling in its latest legal appeal, filed on Oct. 3, which is expected to delay progress for another 12 months.

“We remain committed to constructing the proposed ShopRite of Wyckoff so local residents can enjoy ShopRite’s quality, service and brands in their hometown,” added Inserra. “Getting down to the business of strengthening Wyckoff’s local economy and enhancing its commercial landscape has been – and remains – a top priority for us.”

Originally designed and built in the 1960s by Stop & Shop, the Dutch-owned company held the ground lease for more than three decades, although it decided to temporarily leave the New Jersey market and sublet the space to A&P. When Stop & Shop returned to the Garden State, it re-established operations at Boulder Run and did not renew A&P’s sub-lease, leaving most of the site vacant for years.

Building designs and heights of the proposed ShopRite of Wyckoff reflect the historic character and architecture of surrounding commercial and residential buildings. The property’s existing structure has been vacant for more than 13 years, leaving the building and current 431 parking spaces in a state of disrepair. The site also formerly housed an 11,700-square-foot multi-tenant retail center. In addition to invoking traditional architecture, installation of almost an acre of new landscaping will significantly enhance the site and exceed the township’s green space requirements.

Established in 1954 by Patsy Inserra as a privately held family business, Inserra Supermarkets remains true to its roots as a family-owned grocery chain committed to serving families and children. In 1980, under the entrepreneurial guidance of the late Lawrence Inserra, Sr., the company grew to eight stores and experienced a banner year in 1981, growing to 14 stores. Today, the company owns and operates 22 ShopRite supermarkets in New Jersey’s Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Sussex, Ocean and Somerset counties as well as southeastern New York.