Plans to re-build at the site of Beachwood Mall now underway

It's been an unavoidable eye-sore for decades at the Shore but the future is now for a shopping center to be built on the grounds where the Beachwood Mall once stood.

The Beachwood Mall has been leveled and plans to build a new shopping center on that piece of land are underway.

Berkeley Township Business Administrator John Camera explains that the next step is getting all the necessary clearances for the land.

"Over the course of this year we hope to be done with all the approvals needed so we can do a subdivision of the front 40-acres," said Camera.

If they get all the approvals they need this year, he adds, construction can begin sometime in 2018.

The back 100-acres of that land will eventually turn into single-family homes after a number of environmental issues are resolved and cleaned up.

That part of the plan is years away from officially becoming a reality after it gets cleaned up and receives approval from the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Environmental Protection.

As plans get mapped out between Berkeley Township and the new land developer, Edgewood Properties, Camera says town officials want to hear your input on what stores you'd like to see at the new shopping plaza.

"Berkeley Township would like to see what the people want," said Camera.

Even though Edgewood Properties and their future land tenants will have a final say in determining what ultimately ends up there, your input still matters.

"The good news is...the developer we're working with I know has other commercial establishments and works with a lot of big supermarkets and anchor type stores," said Camera.

If a supermarket is built inside this new shopping plaza, Camera is optimistic the land developer won't be choosing one in direct competition to the Shop-Rite down the street.

"I would imagine that they might go for something that's not directly competitive with ones around them," said Camera.

While the final decision for what or how many stores will end up in the shopping center is yet to be determined, township officials are optimistic that the ending result will be something that benefits all residents and non-residents.

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