Lidl is nearly complete with demolition to Snuffy’s Pantagis Renaissance, the more than 80-year-old wedding venue along Route 22 in Scotch Plains that shuttered sometime during the pandemic, according to Tom Strowe, the towns' director of redevelopment.
Strowe struggled to remember the last time Scotch Plains had its own grocery store. The closest ones now are the ShopRite in Watchung or South Plainfield, Aldi in South Plainfield, or perhaps Trader Joe's in Westfield.
Lidl bought the property in October 2021 and has gained approval for a 31,000-square-foot grocery story and a 7,500-square-foot mixed use building, complete with a park-and-ride.
Assuming Lidl meets compliance and continues moving through the process with the township, construction could begin in the spring or summer, Strowe said.
"It’s exciting for the town for sure," Strowe said. "Snuffy's was an icon in town — there are a lot of memories there. But listen, times change.
"Change is always tough but it's good change in this sense."
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