ShopRite is coming to Belleville!

No longer will shoppers have to drive to Nutley or Bloomfield to get ShopRite specials – say town officials.

Kevin Kennedy, a Belleville councilman, confirmed that a ShopRite is expected to take the former Pathmark space at the end of the Washington Avenue business district.

Pathmark left in October 2010, and Kelly's Liquors moved into the space at 726 Washington Ave. The liquor store will now move across the hall to the left of the large shopping complex in favor of a new ShopRite, according to Kennedy.

The Belleville Planning Board approved an application for the liquor store to move at its most recent June meeting.

The shopping center will be renovated, he said. The Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant will be torn down for the ShopRite and Pizza Hut will remain.

Kennedy said the ShopRite should open by May 2013.

"They're fixing up the inside now," he said.

Kennedy said he did not know of additional businesses coming to the Washington Avenue business district. However, the Motorcycle Mall moved north to a bigger location across from the ShopRite site and the Walgreen’s expanded last year.

The councilman said he hopes additional businesses will be spurred to move to the same area in the future, “The economy is still not getting any better.”

Attorney Robert Gaccione represents the developer bringing the ShopRite to town, and said that the application approved is actually only for the liquor store to move, and nothing else on the plaza, since the supermarket is an approved use.

Deputy Police Chief Mark Minichini is a planning board member, and confirmed that ShopRite will provide security officers as Pathmark had before.