WAYNE, NJ — The ShopRite being built at the former Wayne Hills Mall site is scheduled to open next year.

Crossroads Companies LLC, a Mahwah-based real estate development company, said construction on the new 79,000-square-foot store is scheduled to be completed and the store open before Thanksgiving of 2019. ShopRite's 60,000-square-foot store at the nearby Plaza Square shopping center on Hamburg Turnpike will close down and the space will be re-leased once the new store opens, said Evelyn Weiss Franciso, a spokesperson who released information about the project for Crossroads Monday.

ShopRite and three other retailers will be located where the 103,000-square-foot Wayne Hills Mall building is located now. That building is being demolished and the new one with ShopRite will be built on that footprint. Crossroads is just developing the ShopRite store, Francisco said. (See related: Demolition Of Wayne Hills Mall Begins)

"The relocation will provide the Township of Wayne's 55,000 residents with a brand-new, larger store with upgraded amenities while keeping the same ShopRite brand that customers have grown to love and trust," said Crossroads CEO Steve Hittman. "This is an excellent location that provides ease of access and ample parking, and it will allow ShopRite to expand its produce, organic, and other product offerings.

The Planning Board approved a redevelopment plan for the 29-acre site in February 2016. The main mall will be demolished, but Burlington Coat Factory, which is located in a separate building next to it, will remain. (See related: Wayne Hills Mall Redevelopment Plan Approved)

Two other retail buildings will be constructed around the anchor building.

Such a configuration has revitalized the Wayne Town Center near the Willowbrook Mall. That property suffered a similar fate to the Wayne Hills Mall until a few years ago when the main building was torn down. Several retailers and restaurants, including Costco, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Olive Garden, opened.



Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com