By JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
NORTH BRUNSWICK – After years of rumors, residents of the greater Brunswick area will finally get their wish: Trader Joe’s will be opening a store on Route 1.
“I am pleased to formally announce, what may have been the worst kept secret in town, that we are excited to welcome a Trader Joe’s grocery store to the North Brunswick community,” said Michael Hritz, director of the Department of Community Development.
Trader Joe’s will be leasing approximately 14,500 square feet as part of the space that was formally occupied by Barnes & Noble in the North Village Shopping Center, 869 Route 1. The site is currently under construction to subdivide the bookstore space for the grocery store and two or three additional tenants, Hritz said. Once that work is complete, Trader Joe’s will complete its own renovations before opening later this year.
“This rewarding outcome affirms our relationship and engagement with our development partners who all shared an interest in bringing a Trader Joe’s to the township. We’ve been working to entice them here for many years. My congratulations to Levin Management, who ultimately prevailed in securing Trader Joe’s.”
“This is a perfect match for the work we’ve been doing to improve the character and quality of the entire Route 1 corridor. I understand the competition for a Trader Joe’s to be very tough, so I am very happy and pleased with the success of our professional staff and the cooperation with their business colleagues who worked to get this deal done,” Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack said.
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].