PARSIPPANY — Those motorists driving on Route 46 this morning saw the excavators as they began tearing down the Colony Plaza building. TriCore Construction crew was out bright and early on Thursday, March 23, with heavy machinery to make room for the new Chick-fil-A, which will be constructed on the site.
Colony Plaza along Route 46 East was sold in 2020. The buyer purchased four more commercial properties across the highway in 2021, for which Top Golf received preliminary approval from the Parsippany-Troy Hills Zoning Board of Adjustment.
TriCore Construction Group was contracted to complete the demolition of the Colony Plaza property. Earlier this month TriCore also demolished the Inn Crowd on Route 46 to make room for Taco Bell.
Colony Plaza was the home of Parsippany Focus in the early 1990s and the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce.
The new building will be 5,338 square feet with 62 interior seats and 18 exterior seating. 81 total parking spaces and eight electric charging stations. In addition, the drive-through will consist of two lanes with enough room to stack about 60 cars.
Colony Plaza was slowly dying and required a new life. The property had only 30% occupancy, and in the last three years, there were about six robberies, and there was evidence of people using this site at night time to abuse drugs. The property is an eyesore.
The property could have been developed with a 24-7 365 days Wawa or QuickChek. However, the landlord chose Chick-fil-A since it wasn’t a 24-7, 365-day business and closed on Sundays. The property could also have been used by a Bolla, Supermarket, Auto Repair Shop, Pub, section 8 residential, and many other uses.
Chick-fil-A will employ approximately 80 residents, with residents having the first opportunity.
