Though approved by the Millville Town Council nearly a year ago, the site plan for the forthcoming Millville Town Center has yet to be followed by any site work. According to one of the property owners, settlement on sale of the property has been delayed at the buyer's request.

According to Manean Robinson, one of the parcel's co-owners, Manekin had asked for an extension to the planned Dec. 15 settlement date.

Robinson said that Manekin perhaps anticipated problems obtaining necessary permits to begin work on the site and needed the extra time. "But you probably know more than I do about this," he said.

Located across from the Food Lion shopping center in Millville, the property --to be dubbed Millville Town Center -- is slated to have 68 detached duplex houses in the rear of the property and more than 87,000 square feet of retail space facing Route 26.

Confirmed tenants include Giant Food Stores, which will occupy the 57,000-square-foot anchor retail pad. The Giant will be flanked by 11,600-square-foot and 27,000-square-foot retail pads. An Ace hardware store will take up a portion of that space.

Additional freestanding retail space includes a 10,000-square-foot and a 6,000 -square-foot site fronting Route 26. A total of 577 parking spaces is planned.

The site's main entrance will connect with the intersection of Route 26 and Old Mill Road. A secondary entrance will join both portions of the property with Cedar Drive.

Joe Scarpa, a commercial realtor with New Jersey-based Legend Properties, could not confirm any additional tenants for the property beyond Giant.

When the site plan for the shopping center was first brought to the attention of the Millville Town Council well more than a year ago, residents along Cedar Drive protested, claiming the additional traffic would impact the value of their homes and their quality of life.

Robinson, however, said he and his family had little choice but to sell the land and the house that occupies it. "I was born and raised in that house, and my mother, who is 82, has lived most of her life there," he said.

But in recent years, he said, it had become nearly impossible to farm the land anymore because of its isolated location and the expense of bringing in the necessary equipment.

"We wished we didn't have to do it." The house at the property's center, he said, will be moved to another site and sold, as part of the sale agreement with Manekin.

Reach John Duffy at (302) 537-1881, ext., 106, or by e-mail at jduffy@smgpo.gannett.com

Originally published Wednesday, December 31, 2003