The massive commercial/residential project has been in the works for several years.
HARRISON TWP. -- Construction on the first portion of the long-awaited Richwood Town Center project could begin by the end of the year.
Costco will anchor the first phase, dubbed the Southside Commercial Redevelopment Area, Harrison Township Mayor Lou Manzo said.
That section is bounded by Route 322, Aura Road and Route 55 and will include several retail stores and restaurant spots. While none of the other occupants for those sites have been named, the list of desired occupants includes several well-known brands.
"We'd love to see a Chick-Fil-A," Manzo said. Other businesses on the "like" list include Panera, Starbucks and a sporting goods store, such as Dick's or Modell's.
In all, the first phase includes 350,000-400,000 square feet of retail space.
The entire Richwood redevelopment project consists of more than 380 acres on both sides of Route 322 between Barnsboro Road and Route 55. In addition to stores and restaurants, the plan includes about 1,600 housing units.
Developer Madison Marquette is working on infrastructure plans for sewer and road work for phase one and could seek final site plan approval for the project by the summer, Manzo said.
The project will tie into the county utilities authority's sewer system, meaning a long-talked about sewage treatment plant for Richwood won't be needed, Manzo said. Also taking advantage of sewer service will be the new Inspira hospital planned on the other side of the Route 55 interchange, as well as future developments on Rowan University's West Campus.
If approvals are granted, ground breaking for phase one could take place by the end of the year, with store openings possible by late 2017, Manzo said.
Phase two, the actual town center portion of the project, would include retail and residential space, with this portion anchored by a movie theater/entertainment facility with a liquor license.
The township has long envisioned a Frank Theaters venue as the hub for the town center, though no deal has been finalized at this stage, Manzo said. The facility would include a restaurant, bowling alley and other attractions for kids. Frank owns and operates 25 theaters and 256 screens in the Northeast and South, including one in Mercer County.
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Madison Marquette owns four liquor licenses for the project. They were the winning bidder for the licenses in 2013, paying $2 million. Franks would use one. Developers haven't revealed who will receive the others
Across 322 from phase one sits the Northside Commercial Redevelopment Area,
Wal-Mart was once eyed to anchor this section, but that idea has since been abandoned and Manzo couldn't be happier.
When the idea of a Wal-Mart coming to town was first raised, the reaction from residents was overwhelmingly negative, he said. "Residents didn't want a Wal-Mart," he said. In the time period between 2011 and 2013, however, they were the only major retailer building anything, Manzo added.
Manzo said his dream is to bring a Wegmans-type gourmet food market to the site. Wegmans was approached.
"They've told us 'no' because they have a very specific model," Manzo said. While the incomes of local residents meet their needs, current population density doesn't, he said.
With the planned Richwood development, though, that density is coming, Manzo said. "What they told us is, talk to us in 5 or 8 years when the density is there."
Progress on Richwood has been slow.
"Even when I took office in January of '08, it was already under way," Manzo said. "And then the economy fell off the cliff ... so for the last almost eight years we've been kind of keeping it on life-support"
All the while, Harrison leaders have been watching progress down Route 322 in Woolwich Township, which is also trying to develop a retail corridor.
Interested businesses will go for the project that is actually moving forward, Manzo said.
"It was always kind of a race," he said. "We knew that we had to get something up out of the ground."
Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.