A grocery store chain that is ubiquitous in Europe is continuing its expansion into the United States. Although some proposed American locations were canceled a little over a year ago amid concerns that the competitor to Aldi was expanding too rapidly, Lidl is still constructing food markets on the East Coast and proposing additional stores. The chain also recently opened New Jersey locations in Eatontown, Hazlet, and Union and announced that it would buy over two dozen stores from Long Island-based Best Market, including one in Holmdel. Now, it looks like a second Lidl could be built in Union County.
A new real estate listing from Florida-based Gator Investments shows that a store is being proposed for 10 South Avenue in Garwood. The location would be situated within a development called the Garwood Center that would be created out of a former supermarket and also include space for a 27,372-square-foot anchor tenant. There are plans for three additional businesses to be constructed from scratch on the eastern edge of the site’s parking lot. One of the proposed stores could include a drive-thru window.
The property, which is located within a block of the Cranford border, has already undergone quite a transition over the last few years. The roughly 50,000-square-foot building on the premises used to contain a Pathmark Super Center until the entire chain went out of business when parent company A&P went bankrupt. Then, the space was occupied by an upscale Key Food-operated location of The Food Emporium. Eventually, the store become SuperFresh’s Garwood Farmers Market before becoming vacant again.
Garwood is not the only place where Lidl is apparently looking to open in a former Pathmark space. The company bought the former Pathmark in Bergenfield last year and was recently approved to open in the old Pathmark space at Montclair’s Lackawanna Plaza.
