Along with the usual info on township leaf pickups and rakeouts, it includes this update on the Maplewood Village future:
Maplewood Is On the Move!
A lot has happened during the past couple of years and more change is on the horizon. The post office in Maplewood Village will be moving in November. The mail sorting operation will be located elsewhere and a retail post office presence will be retained somewhere else in the Village.
How the post office site will be redeveloped is still a work in progress. Last year we had two community meetings to discuss the post office property and the third one will be on Thursday, April 4that 7:30pm in town hall. We hope you will come out to share your views with us.
So far we have had productive discussions with Kings Supermarket about moving across the street to a larger first floor facility. The ideas being discussed include putting one or two floors of residential units above the supermarket. Issues of design, density, parking, traffic, Ricalton park, train station access and other concerns will be discussed at the community meeting.
Another change coming to the Village is the Township’s purchase of the Woman’s Club. For $1,004,100, the Township will obtain 1.2 acres of valuable downtown property. Roughly 60 parking spaces for shoppers and merchants will become available immediately. With regard to the building, the Township Committee wants to keep it operating as a community resource and is developing criteria for selecting a non-profit partner to operate the facility. The closing on the property is expected to occur in May.
New housing options will be available this summer. The Station House is the apartment complex being built at the former police station site on Dunnell Road. There will be 46 luxury and 4 affordable rentals there. On Burnett Avenue next to DeHart Park, Maplewood Crossing is being completed. The first phase will include 63 apartments, some with excellent views of the New York skyline. Another 63 apartments and eight townhomes will be in phase two.
Last year was the final phase of the Springfield Avenue streetscape redevelopment program. This public investment has paid off with millions in private sector improvements. Now on the Avenue are Walgreens, DEAL$, Home Décor Furniture Store, 7-Eleven, GiGi’s Cupcakes, Soul Terrific, CKO Kickboxing, IncPics, Pro Elite Nutrition, New World Catering, Da Kitchen, Zakiya’s Way Floral Design, and Puppy Love. Last fall the Township launched a retail recruitment campaign that will bring more new stores to town. The next challenge will be to find the right kind of development for the nearly four acre site at Boyden and Springfield, the former PSE&G gas testing facility.
Even in a down economy, Maplewood is moving forward. Our brand as a welcoming and attractive community is as strong as ever. Opportunities are before us and we intend to seize those that will make Maplewood an even better place to live and raise a family.
We invite you to get involved in the discussions about our future. The next chance is on Thursday, April 4th at 7:30pm. Let’s hear your ideas about the post office site in Maplewood Village.
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