EDISON — Residents will soon see some West Coast flavor along Route 27.
New construction and renovations are under way to turn the former Topps Appliance shopping center, located at 1745 Lincoln Highway (Route 27), into a new village-style shopping plaza.
“It’s becoming gorgeous. It’s an extremely attractive facility,” said Bob Smith, attorney for the applicant, Edison I LLC.
The Planning Board voted in 2008 to approve the village center concept, encompassing 194,250 square feet of retail and commercial space. Phase one of the construction, which included landscaping, and road and parking improvements, started last year. Plans call for 776 parking spaces.
Owner Michael McCarthy said he is planning the plaza in the West Coast style that he used at his two other developments in California. He said those who come to the retail and office complex will see “an enhanced center of connected walking paths, outdoor dining areas, and a variation of retail-oriented services.”
No residential units will be included, he said.
Anchoring the site will be a 56,000-squarefoot supermarket, McCarthy said. Other tenants will include a 10,000-square-foot barbecue restaurant, a 24,000-square-foot dry cleaner store, and a spa. Other tenants to be determined in the future could include medical and attorney offices, as well as anything from hair and nail salons to banks.
“We want to make the variety interesting,” said McCarthy. “We want this to be the place where people who live in town or people who come into town hang out or just come and grab a cup of coffee.”
The township Zoning Board of Adjustment heard testimony on Feb. 16 on plans for an adult day care center that is proposed for the complex; however, board members said they did not receive the necessary reports soon enough and needed more time to review the documents.
Members also said they wanted the operator of the adult day care center to be present at the hearing to answer questions regarding the number of employees the facility would have and how the customers would be dropped off.
The next zoning board meeting will be held March 28 at Town Hall.