Former Pathmark Store Likely to Remain a Supermarket

, but it's likely that the space it occupied will next be occupied by another supermarket.

When exactly that might be is still up in the air, according to Gregory Jones of Equity Retail Brokers, who handles leasing agreements for the Lower Saucon Township shopping center that is also home to small businesses such as , and .

“We're working on some things,” Jones said in a telephone interview Monday. “A grocery store is the path of least resistance. It would be very expensive to retool that space.”

Which grocery chain might occupy the former Pathmark location is still unknown, he said.

The lease for the nearly 48,000 square foot space was just released to the brokerage, he added.

Based on the size of the retail space and the complexity of the deal that would accompany it, it is likely going to be a few months before a new tenant could be announced.

As for the former  a few doors down from the empty Pathmark, there's no word about who or what may occupy it next, but Jones said it will probably not remain empty for long.

“We've got some offers to split that space,” he said of the 5,140 square foot store.

Two other locations in the shopping center near the cineplex been unoccupied for some time, and although Jones said there have been some “local nibbles, there hasn't been intense interest” from any prospective tenants.

“Right now, our concern is that we don't have a grocery store,” he said. “Until that's filled, it's going to be hard to fill the smaller stores.”

The Pathmark store, which was a Superfresh supermarket until two years ago, closed last month as part of business restructuring by its bankrupt owner, A&P.

The Blockbuster video rental store closed at around the same time.