North Brunswick Director of Community Development Michael Hritz does not live in North Brunswick, yet he thinks Berdines Corner does not need a grocery store to replace A&P.
There have only been two grocery stores located in the Milltown Road shopping center: Grand Union for over 30 years and A&P for over 20 years. Both went under by the company; the stores did not close in this area because of a lack of business. North Brunswick A&P was also one of the last A&P stores to close. With the loss of Pathmark on Route 1, which was there 40-plus years, and A&P, that’s two grocery stores that were local to this specific area.
Costco is a far distance, as well as BJ’s, and you have to pay a fee. Also, these are not grocery stores by nature. No one has ever bought a coffin in A&P or Pathmark. ShopRite is not close to this area where there is a large abundance of single-family homes, condos, townhomes, apartments and senior apartment housing. There are a lot of us who would not food shop in Walmart, which is not a grocery store, nor is it close by either.
Families in this large area, as well as the senior apartments who were very much customers of A&P, are hoping a grocery store will be returning. In talking to several residents, locally and in Milltown, we are all hoping there will be a more local grocery store. The township committee should reach out to Stop & Shop, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, etc. One of these would complement extremely well and help bring more retailers into that shopping center. Logic and research show most homeowners/renters grocery shop closer and within a certain radius of their homes. Even a strong chain grocery store as Stop & Shop would do fantastic in this location. Grocery stores are anchors that with their constant flow of customers create the other retailers’ business and a customer flow, which eliminates empty stores.
It’s time Berdines Corner is recognized as in need of a local grocery store. Stop trying to shuffle us to what Hritz “thinks” a grocery store is; in my opinion, he knows nothing of this area or its needs. He in no way speaks for the residents of this area.
Bring North Brunswick up to speed in all its areas, not just the ones the committee members live. Don’t take opinions of those who live nowhere near or in this town who think what they say affects businesses looking into this area. Think how stating an opinion may steer away a potential grocery chain. Talk to the neighbors around the municipal building and realize that we only have one large grocery store. Other than Milltown having only one and we’re bigger, all other towns in Middlesex County have two-plus. We wonder how close are the grocery stores where the committee and Hritz live to their homes?
M. Berdines
North Brunswick
