Wal-Mart Abandons Plans for Supermarket in Hawthorne

Hawthorne hasn't had a grocery store in 30 years. If one does open up, it won't be Walmart.

According to an article on northjersey.com, the retailer has abandoned plans to open a large supermarket with pharmacy at the former Merck & Co.'s Metasol industrial plant at 204 Wagaraw Road.

The Bedrin Organization, based in Glen Rock, owns the 7-acre property.

A lawsuit filed by a citizen opposition group "Hawthorne Deserves Better" has sought to block Wal-Mart, charging it was inconsistent with the Master Plan, would damage property values and increase traffic.

"I believe once the ordinances are upheld in court the lawsuit will go away," Gerry Bedrin told the Hawthorne Gazette last summer. "Walmart isn't going away."