Lackawanna Plaza, a once-dormant nearly 100,000-square-foot former retail space in Montclair, has finally reopened on November 30. This holiday pop-up market and the subsequent plans for a local food co-op, restaurants, a food truck area, and local tap rooms have brought new life to the area.

Rediscovering the Potential of a Vacant Property

Holiday Market: A Vibrant Gathering

The holiday market at Lackawanna Plaza is a bustling affair, featuring more than 175 vendors. Live music fills the air, adding to the festive atmosphere. A handful of food trucks offer delicious treats, while two bars and an art space provide additional entertainment. This market runs on Saturdays and Sundays through January 19, giving the community a chance to enjoy a unique shopping and entertainment experience.

Several retailers have already set up shop in the mall, with more to open in the spring. It's a great start to seeing the space utilized while a full redevelopment is underway. Jason Gleason, vice president of community development at BDP Holdings, the site's owner, believes this is a way to show the community that a vacant property can be transformed into something special.

Incubator for Small Business: The Pop-Up Market

According to Gleason, the pop-up market is an incubator for small businesses. It will extend into the spring, hosting restaurants, food trucks, a wine store, and a co-working space. This approach allows for a creative and flexible use of the space while waiting for a full redevelopment. Gleason anticipates that the site will be open throughout the week come spring, providing more opportunities for the community.

The farmers market at Lackawanna Plaza represents a significant step in providing access to healthy food. Charles Rosen, who runs Ironbound Farm and Ciderhouse in Asbury (Hunterdon County), is planning to launch Ironbound Farm Market based on a "farm stop" model. This means that local growers will sell their produce directly to the market, cutting out the middlemen and saving farmers time and money.

Meeting Community Needs: Ironbound Farm Market

Ironbound Farm Market will sell local produce sourced from farms in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The prepared goods, such as bakery items, sandwiches, and grab-and-go meals, will also feature local produce. The market will have a grocery store with packaged goods from local producers, with a focus on women-, BIPOC-, and veteran-owned businesses. An event center will also be available for visiting farmers and chefs to conduct classes and talks.

Rosen is aware of the need to serve an economically diverse clientele and is working on a tiered pricing system and accepting SNAP payments to accommodate lower-income shoppers. This shows the market's commitment to meeting the needs of the community.

Future Plans and Challenges

Gleason hopes to expand the number of food trucks at the Holiday Market to seven or eight regular visits. Two restaurants, Little Bear Poké and Burgers Doughnuts Potatoes, are set to open in December, and a wine store will also open soon. A 9,000-square-foot co-working space will open in spring along with Ironbound Farm Market.

Although there are still issues to be sorted out, Gleason believes there is public support for the space to be active again. People were excited to be back in the space and see something new and unique. It has that abandoned mall, "Stranger Things" vibe, and it's been neat to see the community's reactions.

Matt Cortina is a food writer for NorthJersey.com/The Record. Reach him at mcortina@gannett.com.