Local Business Owners React to Construction at Fanwood Crossing

Although Fanwood Crossing, the construction project on South Avenue and Martine Avenue, is finally beginning to resemble an actual building, the developer noted that construction will continue until next summer. 

Already some local businesses are looking forward to the extra foot traffic that the new building should bring to downtown Fanwood. Many are beginning to wonder what type of establishment will mark the new and improved Fanwood Crossing next summer.

“I would love to attract a restaurant or café,” said David Checchio, property owner and developer at Elite Properties. “We’ve designed the building to have a pavilion behind it which would be amenable for outdoor seating.”

The company has received some interest from national franchises as well as from those interested in creating a more intimate restaurant or café, “but we’ve had no serious follow-up interest. It’s tough sledding for restauranteurs right now,” Checchio stated.

They’re focus at the moment is to enclose the building before winter and then continue constructing the interior during the harsher winter months.

Checchio added that the company has yet to begin a major marketing campaign to attract businesses or residents for the 24 high-end rental units on the upper floors.

“We have no tenants slated to occupy it yet, but plenty of interest,” Checchio said.

The apartments should be ready for residents and businesses to move in by next summer.

The retail space is about 8,000 square feet, which could either be just the one restaurant or café or possibly broken into three to four businesses. Currently, there is no liquor license available for the property.

“Our intent is to hold out for the right tenants and not just lease it to fill space,” Checchio said. “We don’t want to put in someone who won’t respect the tenants above.”

Even if the construction or new facility makes parking tighter “we’re happy to be crowded. We need more businesses in town,” Seng stated.

"A local restaurant would be beautiful,” said Chamroen Seng, owner of Seng Couture on South Avenue.

Residents of the new building will receive permits to park in the train station lot across the street.

Also in the works is a second phase of development along that block that would create a total of 13,000 to 15,000 square feet of retail space, Checchio said.

While still in the design phase with no timeline, “a high-end, small grocer would be great. I think that would be terrific across from the train station,” he said.

So far, neither Seng nor Jeff Ling, manager of Enchantments on South Avenue, have any complaints or heard any from customers about the construction, traffic or noise generated by the project.

Ling’s only concern is that at four stories,  the building will look unusually tall for the area, especially without any setback from the street corner.

“My feeling is that it’s too tall,” he said. “It may feel overwhelming now, but when they finish, it should be good for the town. It would also generate more foot traffic and it would be good to have more people living in Fanwood,” Ling said.