BY ANN GENADER
West Milford — The long-awaited renovation of the McDonald’s Restaurant at 41 Marshall Hill Road began on Jan. 22 and West Milford construction officials estimated the job will be done in about 22 days.
KMK Development Group Inc. of Scotch Plains is doing the job. The estimated cost of the project, according to West Milford Building Department records, is $457,000.
Not many changes from the existing building are expected. The footprint remains the same.
The restaurant will remain open for business during the constructions.
The original restaurant is 37 years old. It is about 3,437 square feet. Initially plans were to close the restaurant and demolish the building and construct the new one within the existing footprint. The application before the West Milford Zoning Board of Adjustment did not satisfy all of the conditions.
The renovation is part of McDonald’s nationwide change to its look. The purpose of the application, the applicant told the West Milford Planning Department in 2012, was to change the look and appearance give the restaurant a more contemporary look and get rid of the red mansard roof and other familiar identification looks.
The project was held up awaiting Passaic County approvals — needed because the restaurant is located on a county road.
The company told the township they planned to enhance the efficiency and operations and ADA requirements within the restaurant and improve the drive-in opportunity.
McDonald representatives said then that the project did not typically result in an increase in volume of the operation and it is more about the efficiencies.
The McDonald property is in the southeast corner of the ShopRite Center.
The original plans were changed three times before construction finally got underway this week.
Recent changes to the shopping center include the former theater was converted into a TX Maxx store and the ShopRite supermarket is undergoing renovation. The ShopRite effort to get approvals from the West Milford Planning Board began in 2009.
Back in the 1930s and '40s the shopping center was a gladioli farm owned and operated by the Manetas family. They took their flowers to New York City Markets. When the property was sold they moved their business to south Jersey and traded at Philadelphia.