As development flourishes along the newly renovated strip of Bergenline Avenue, residents see a vast increase of retail activity in town. And now, the town’s first electronic retailer, P.C. Richards and Son, may move in as early as this fall. “The fact that P.C. Richards is interested in putting one of their stores in West New York is just another indication of how development has impacted the community,” said Mayor Albio Sires last week. “There has been a lot of work done along Bergenline Avenue and now we’re seeing the same kind of revitalization happening along Kennedy Boulevard. These are very exciting times for us and I can’t remember when there was so much interest. P.C. Richards is a great store and eventually, I see it also bringing in the type of jobs we can use to move the town forward.” At a recent meeting held at the West New York Board of Adjustment on Jan. 18, the company sought approval by the town to demolish the boarded-up Jess Jones auto showroom at 53rd Street and Kennedy Boulevard. They propose to build a 40,000 square foot, two-story retail and sales facility, which, they estimate, will take nine months to complete. Because the meeting was brief and the board did not make a final decision , John Pflug, vice president of the NJ Division of P.C. Richards, said the company would not comment on the project until they received final approval. Town Administrator Richard Turner felt that once approval is given, the project would benefit residents and increase the ratables in the town. “This wasn’t something that just happened overnight,” said Turner. “It was a six-month process and they are still waiting for approval. It helps the town because it gives us the opportunity to clean up a whole corner of a neighborhood that had sat in disrepair. Now that Kennedy Boulevard is becoming a premiere space, stores like P.C. Richards will attract new activity, shoppers and business that will bring new life to the area.” Although Turner emphasized that the approval of the proposed store is still pending, he said that because it lies in a town-designated Urban Enterprise Zone, about half of the tax proceeds will be returned to the community for reinvestment. The township will net $250,00 in UEZ tax receipts, based on $15 million in annual sales projected, he added. “It’s great for us to see that the money we’ll generate will help the town’s neglected areas come back to life,” said Turner. “It’s like a spillover affect. The more we invest in our town, the better it will be for the people who live here.”
Electronics store may open this fall
