ShopRite will begin redevelopment and relocation plans as soon as a Wayne Stop & Shop lawsuit is settled, Vergano said in a phone interview with Daily Voice.
"The plans were approved last year and soon after Stop & Shop filed a lawsuit," he said, adding it was like typical "supermarket war" lawsuits found in other towns.
Stop & Shop alleges the township violated the law in granting ShopRite approval, the mayor added.
Stop & Shop was also recently embroiled in a lawsuit with ShopRite over a development in Wyckoff.
The mall is six-tenths of a mile from the Wayne Stop & Shop or about a 4-minute drive, according to Google Maps.
The new ShopRite will be 65,000 square feet, with the remaining 35,000 square feet of mall space divided among standalone stores and restaurants, Vergano said.
The plans can't move forward until the lawsuit with Stop & Shop is over, Vergano said.
The Wayne Hills Mall closed around 2008 and the Burlington Coat Factory is the only store still operating on the property’s main footprint.
Kmart, LA Fitness and Dunkin’ Donuts are on the outer area and won't be affected by the redevelopment, the mayor said.
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