With one national drugstore chain already operating at the western end of a Newark business district, a rival company is looking to open a location at the eastern end.
CVS Pharmacy is planning to open a drugstore at 331-337 and 339-347 Ferry Street in the city’s Ironbound neighborhood, according to a legal notice. The location would be situated between Main Street and St. Francis Street in the East Ward and would include a drive-thru window.
The properties in question consist of a large vacant lot and a two-story former industrial building that has been used by companies such as Saturn Engineering. The building was acquired last year for $1.8 million by an LLC registered out of the same address as Hub Realty in West Orange, according to NJ Parcels.
The project developer is Manchester, Connecticut-based First Hartford Realty Corporation. First Hartford’s website states that the company provides services such as “site selection, negotiation, permitting and construction” for CVS in five states, including New Jersey, “before turning a store over to CVS operators.”
The realty company applied to the Newark Zoning Board of Adjustment for Preliminary and Final Site Plan approval, minor subdivision approval, and a use variance in order to allow the drive-thru for the CVS. Other variances that were sought included excessive front yard setback and an excessive number of signs. The Zoning Board was initially scheduled to hear the proposal during its meeting on December 13.
Currently, the Ironbound neighborhood contains locations of Rite Aid and Walgreens, along with multiple independent pharmacies such as Kalibats Drug Store and Angelo Pharmacy. There is also a CVS drugstore on Chestnut Street.
