Time to get your hoagie on, people of Maplewood, NJ.
After nearly two years of planning, the Wawa convenience store and service station at Springfield and Chancellor avenues in Maplewood will have its grand opening on Friday, December 16.
According to Mayor Vic DeLuca, a ribbon-cutting will be scheduled for that morning.
A visit to the site this afternoon revealed workers putting on the final touches. Springfield Avenue’s signature lampposts and brick sidewalks were already installed along the property — with the posts festooned with garland, lights and bows for the holidays.
In 2015, the Maplewood Township Committee passed three ordinances paving the way for the construction of the Wawa, including one ordinance (2793-15) that defines gas service stations and convenience stores with fueling stations, and permits those located within a Highway Business Zone to operate 24 hours a day.
The Wawa covers a 1.5 acre site with a 5,600 square feet market and five gas pumps and provides 56 parking spaces. At a March 2015 presentation to the Hilton Neighborhood Association, the site manager for the project assured neighbors about quality construction, materials, fencing, landscaping and lighting, pointing out the high quality of Wawa products and management: “They’re immaculate. They run it like a battleship…. If you have any concerns about this site, I guarantee you, they’ll get on it.”
The Wawa joins other new investment in the area including a 235-unit Avalon Bay apartment building under construction and slated for completion in 2018, and the recently completely renovated and re-opened Maplewood Diner.
Check on the progress by clicking on the photos to enlarge:
