By Katie Wagner, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — The Township Committee agreed last week to put two liquor licenses — one for consumption and one for distribution — out for bid.
The Township Committee agreed to accept a minimum bid of $750,000 for the consumption license and a minimum bid of $300,000 for the distribution license, during the Feb. 7 meeting.
The last time the Township Committee put two liquor licenses out for bid was in May. The minimum requested for those two licenses was $750,000 and only one was sold, Township Clerk Donna Kukla said.
Madison Marquette, the developer of the Montgomery Promenade shopping center, purchased that license for $800,000, according to Township Administrator Donato Nieman.
Montgomery Promenade, which received approval from the Planning Board late last year, is to be located near the southwest corner of Route 206 and Route 518 and will include 325,000 square feet of retail space and a central plaza. It will also include free-standing commercial buildings on the outskirts of the shopping center and the liquor license is likely to be used by one of those free-standing buildings, according to Mr. Nieman.
The township has the ability to sell more liquor licenses than it currently has put out to bid. The Township Committee does not feel now is an appropriate time to put more than two out to bid, because of the current market demand for the licenses in Montgomery, Mr. Nieman said.
