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Millburn Avenue: Variety Fair, 323 Millburn Avenue, c. 1980-1983

Photograph
Variety Fair opened at 323 Millburn Avenue in late fall 1971 and closed at the end of July 1983. The address advertised at that time was 323 Millburn Avenue. The original store at 323 Millburn Avenue was heavily damaged in the August 1973 and July 1975 floods. There was a discrepancy over the address of the store with both 323 and 321 Millburn Avenue appearing in the Variety Fair advertisements in 1976 & 1977. Proposals for developing the land behind the store as a pedestrian cut-through tying Essex Streets and Millburn Avenue were developed in 1977. Plans for a larger pedestrian courtyard and open air shopping mall were considered and came before the Millburn Planning Board in 1979. In 1980, the land was sold construction on the finalized project began in 1986. Variety Fair was located on the former site of Israel D. Condit's home, which later became the Vauxhall Inn, the Wittkop Inn and Woolworth's.
         Color Photograph of Variety Fair store in Downtown Millburn, 323 Millburn Avenue
         Color Photograph of Variety Fair store in Downtown Millburn, 323 Millburn Avenue
            Advertisement in the Item, December 30, 1971
            Item, August 9, 1973
            Going out of Business Sale, Variety Fair, July 7, 1983.
            1975 Flood view of Variety Fair, Item, July 17, 1975.
            Flood View of Rahway River, Item, July 17, 1975.

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