ShopRite, factory owner discuss Rt. 23 site

A new supermarket could be in the cards for Sussex-Wantage location, By Tom Hoffman SUSSEX - The owner of a contract packaging company is in talks with ShopRite about selling the supermarket chain a property that straddles the Sussex Borough and Wantage Township border. Paul Wiebel, owner of Econo-PAK, which operates two facilities in Sussex Borough and one in Newton, said negotiations with ShopRite over the potential sale of a property off Route 23 have continued for the past few months “but nothing has happened yet.” The negotiations hinge partly on the state of New Jersey’s planned realignment of Route 23 and how that would affect the property, said Wiebel’s son, P.J. Even if the property was sold to ShopRite, Econo-PAK would continue to operate the facility located on the east end of the Sussex border for at least another three years, said Paul Wiebel. The facility, which Econo-PAK has operated since 1986, is located just off Route 23 at 1 Wiebel Plaza, a few hundred yards across the highway from the A&P Plaza. Calls to ShopRite officials weren’t returned before The Advertiser News’ deadline. At a Dec. 16 Sussex Borough Council meeting, Mayor Christian Parrott said that he and Borough Clerk Catherine Gleason had met earlier that month with ShopRite and Econo-PAK officials. Parrott said ShopRite officials had asked about using the town’s water and sewer systems. They also expressed an interest in meeting with state representatives about the Route 23 realignment plans and a willingness to provide property easements to the state if ShopRite were to purchase the Econo-PAK property. “ShopRite is definitely interested in that property,” said Parrott at the Dec. 16 meeting. By the numbers Approximately 200 people work at the Sussex Econo-PAK plant. The company employees 350-to-400 people throughout Sussex County. Source: Paul Wiebel