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BRICK – The township has sold its last plenary distribution retail liquor license to Corrados, who announced plans to open a food market in the space previously occupied by a Pathmark Supermarket, which closed in 2015.
Corrados, who was the only bidder for the liquor store license, would pay $575,000 for the license, which was the minimum bid.
The governing body passed a resolution during the July 23 council meeting for the receipt of bids for the license, which were due on Sept. 16. The liquor store will be called Corrados Wines and Liquors of Brick.
The council voted for restrictions to be placed on the sale of the license, including where it could be located (in the northern part of the township in areas north of the Metedeconk River as it runs through Forge Pond).
Also, the liquor store would have to be within an existing B-3 zoning district, and at least half a mile away from any other property with an active plenary retail distribution license.
And finally, the store has to be located in a vacant, existing building that is located within a shopping center.
“This is Corrados, in case anybody doesn’t know what Corrados is, it’s a market that is in six different towns up north,” said Mayor John G. Ducey during the Oct. 7 Council meeting.
Ducey said that residents in the northern areas of Brick are looking forward to once again having a food market there. Corrados offers not only specialty foods but also staples like bread, produce, cereal and more. They also have a delivery service, he said.
Councilman Jim Fozman said he is glad a food store is going there, “but when we put the license out there, it had a lot of restrictions on it and it kind of hooped it in to where [Corrados] is.”
Fozman asked Council Attorney Kevin Starkey if it was okay for the council to place the restrictions on the bid.
“The ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) gives considerable discretion to the local governing body to put restrictions on bidding for liquor licenses, as long as they have a proper planning basis,” the attorney said.
The goals here were to have a liquor license on the north side of town because there are a number of distribution licenses on the southern side of town, Starkey said.
“And the other major issue was to try and fill empty storefronts; in other words, not to have a new building constructed,” he said. “And it had to be a half mile from existing licenses, and that is to protect the value of those licenses that are already out there.”
There were three shopping centers that were eligible within the constraints of the restrictions, so there was some degree of competition, Starkey added.
Fozman said he just wanted to make sure the restrictions on the liquor license were not tailored for one store.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act and regulations sets forth the number of liquor licenses a municipality can issue in New Jersey, based on population.
With a census being conducted next year, Ducey said he wanted to sell the license in case the population has decreased, resulting in the township losing it.
This would be the seventh New Jersey location for the family-owned business that has other locations in Clifton, Denville, Fairfield, North Arlington, Hawthorne and Wayne. The Clifton location is the only other Corrados to have a liquor store.
Cannot wait till they open!