Store won’t open until all work completed to upgrade intersection
SOMERS POINT — Work is progressing on the future site of an ALDI Food Market at Groveland Avenue and Route 9.
Developer Provco Somers Point LLC is building the 21,659-square-foot market at the site of the former Walgreens pharmacy.
The Planning Board unanimously approved an application to build the market at the intersection, an area plagued by narrow streets, heavy traffic and recurrent flooding, in April 2023.
The pharmacy building was demolished last spring and now, all on-site utilities have been installed and they are working on the building now, according to city engineer Greg Schneider.
The development includes major upgrades to the intersection to improve drainage and traffic flow.
Provco attorney Stephen Nehmad said when they approached the city with a plan for the market, they were “told in no uncertain terms” that traffic and stormwater management would have to be addressed for any redevelopment plan to be considered.
City Council agreed July 21, 2022, to adopt the West Groveland Redevelopment Plan, an agreement that granted concessions to the developer in exchange for major site improvements, including dedicated left-turn lanes, new traffic signals and crosswalks and an extensive drainage system to alleviate flooding. Council members later voted to adopt that plan.
Josh Sewald, of Dynamic Engineering, testified before the Planning Board that the intersection would be completely reconstructed and fully modernized with push-button signals and crosswalks. More importantly, he said, the dedicated left-turn lanes would allow traffic to flow rather than backing up and even blocking the box.
Traffic engineer Andrew Jafolla said at the hearing that there would be a crosswalk on both sides of Groveland Avenue and one on the north side of Route 9.
Another change planned is a two-way left-turn lane on Route 9. Jafolla said there currently is no left-turn lane into Galloway Auto & Tire and that since the driveways are offset, the single lane would be beneficial to both businesses.
Sewald said the Walgreens was about 10,000 square feet with a drive-thru and 49 parking spaces. The new building will be 19,209 square feet with an option for a 2,450-square-foot expansion and 98 parking spaces.
He said the new building would be farther back on the site, with parking to the east. It would have two front facades, facing Route 9 and Groveland, and extensive landscaping featuring at least 130 evergreen shrubs.
Schneider said the intersection improvements started in mid-October. Contractors are installing curbs and sidewalks along Route 9 and working on widening the intersection next to Galloway Auto & Tire Center.
He said that work is taking place during daylight hours. Utility work, in which it is necessary to tap into the water main and sanitary sewer, is taking place at night.
Schneider said the intersection work, including traffic lights, would be going on until February or March, and then the market would open.
“They are not permitted to open until everything is complete with the traffic signal working,” he said.
Mayor Dennis Tapp said the store would be a welcome addition to Somers Point, which has become a retail hub for the region.
“ALDI’s is one of the largest food markets in the entire world. They did market research and feel that the economy as well as the location was a good fit for them,” he said.
Tapp said Councilmen Howard Dill and Sean McGuigan were adamant that the developer make traffic and drainage improvements as a requirement of obtaining a redevelopment agreement.
“I like the fact that they are making all of the intersection improvements for better traffic flow,” he said. “They had to agree to that or they never would have gotten a redevelopment agreement.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff