West Milford's newest grocery store sets opening date after delays due to coronavirus

WEST MILFORD — The new Highlands Market grocery store on Union Valley Road is expected to open in early September, Mayor Michele Dale said.

The highly anticipated supermarket in the town’s Hewitt section was initially projected to open this spring. However, the supermarket’s renovation and opening plans have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dale said. The grand opening date is now set for late summer.

“We are working in collaboration with the owner and operator of this new business to hit the date of September 4th for the grand opening,” Dale said.

The Highlands Market by Shopwell will be the first of its kind, though it may not be the last, said Mark Lane of plaza owner The Lane Group. Online shopping and delivery are expected to be offered by the grocer.

The independent grocer is expected to be joined in the space by an affiliated liquor store, Highlands Wines and Spirits. The rest of the nearly 50,000-square-foot space that once held an A&P Fresh Market is due to be filled by a Snap Fitness USA center, records show.

Since 2018, the shopping center once anchored by the A&P and a Sears Hardware warehouse has been repopulated. Dollar General and Tractor Supply Co. stores have taken up the west end of the complex.

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Both have helped revitalize business at the other small retailers, said Andrew Abdul, owner of Flags and Jewelry, a store in the complex. Those stores were mostly reliant on the post office as a draw after the A&P closed in 2015 and the Sears store in 2017, he said.

The Highlands Market, the adjoining liquor store and the Snap Fitness center are expected to occupy the former A&P space on the east side of the complex.

The town’s Hewitt section has been without a grocery store since the A&P closed in 2015 amid corporate bankruptcy. The absence of the supermarket helped cut the 13.6-acre site’s property tax valuation from nearly $16.9 million to $11 million for the 2017 tax year, records show.

For 2020, the site has been valued at $11.5 million. The accompanying tax bill is nearly $443,000.

David Zimmer is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.