Manalapan Crossing developer: Let's dump restaurant, store plans for supermarket instead

David P. Willis, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

MANALAPAN - A Saker ShopRite supermarket is proposed for Manalapan Crossing, a village development now under construction on Route 33 at Millhurst Road.

Cardinale Enterprises, Manalapan Crossing's developer, has submitted a proposal to the township Planning Board to replace three previously approved retail and restaurant buildings with a Saker ShopRite. According to architectural drawings submitted as part of the application, which is undergoing township review, ShopRite Manalapan will be 77,408 square feet.

The township Planning Board approved Manalapan Crossing, a mixed-use development, in 2019.

The retail portion, which also will include a QuickChek convenience store and fuel stations, sits in front of K. Hovnanian's Four Seasons at Manalapan Crossing, a development with 280 single family homes for ages 55 and over.

A ShopRite is proposed for a front parcel at Manalapan Crossing on Route 33 in Manalapan
A ShopRite is proposed for a front parcel at Manalapan Crossing on Route 33 in Manalapan

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The Forge at Manalapan Crossing features retail shops on ground level with affordable apartments, including those for residents with special needs, on the second and third floors.

Route 33 needs a major supermarket, said Vito Cardinale, president and chief executive officer of Cardinale Enterprises. "With thousands of (housing construction) permits that have been pulled in the last couple of years, everyone can see the amount of homes that have come on 33," he said. "The ShopRite is perfect."

The Manalapan ShopRite will be located between Saker ShopRites on Route 9 in Freehold Township and Route 130 in East Windsor. "This would be strategically located right in the middle," Cardinale said. It is the "perfect spot."

Given the position in front of homes at Manalapan Crossing, Cardinale said the building has been designed to look nice.

Architectural drawings of the proposed Manalapan ShopRite on Route 33 at Manalapan Crossing.
Architectural drawings of the proposed Manalapan ShopRite on Route 33 at Manalapan Crossing.

"We're making sure that all four sides of this ShopRite are very appealing to the road and to the homeowners" at the Four Seasons development. "Our engineer was challenged to make sure that the landscaping made all four sides look beautiful."

Meanwhile, Cardinale said shops are being leased at the Forge, which has about 30,000 square feet of retail space. With a liquor license for distribution and another license for consumption available, he said he's looking for a liquor store and a restaurant too.

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Construction has begun on the site of a QuickCheck convenience store at Manalapan Crossing on Route 33 in Manalapan.
Construction has begun on the site of a QuickCheck convenience store at Manalapan Crossing on Route 33 in Manalapan.

David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business, retail, real estate and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for 25 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Please sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: ShopRite supermarket could be built at Manalapan Crossing