Halloween City May Open by October 1

The clock is ticking on Halloween City, which has yet to open in the old A&P building on St. Georges Avenue.

The store's marketing director insists "there are no problems."

"We're working with the township. We are working very well with them," said Don Rose, who handles PR for the costumes and decoration store. The stores typically stay open to October 31 for Halloween, and then hold big sales for a few days afterward.

Halloween City, a subsidiary of Party City, opens up temporary stores in different towns to help adults and children get ready for their Halloween celebrations. The retail outlet set up shop several weeks ago in the A&P, which closed almost two years ago.

The store's manager said that part of the reason the store, which seemed almost ready to open its doors, hadn't so far was because of issues like "a few ceiling tiles that were missing."

Rose said it was "more than that" but refused to specify what the issues were.

"There is no particular thing. We are working to get the store open as soon as possible," he said.

Meanwhile, the Burlington Coat Factory opened September 21, despite having a huge hole in the parking deck. A section of the deck failed in August, about a month to the day the store opened.

There is no other way to get into the Burlington Coat Factory except via the parking deck. The big hole where the deck pancaked is roped off with orange cones and a temporary fence.

The township has pointed to the state Department of Community Affairs as having oversight for the deck, which state officials have consistently denied. Neither the township nor the store owner, Onyx Equities, has released any information about the cause of the deck failure, or given public reassurances about the safety of the remaining deck structure.

Rose said he hopes to get Halloween City opened by October 1.

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