Lightbridge Academy may replace long-vacant Toy Train Emporium in Cherry Hill
CHERRY HILL - It looks like the end of the line for a former toy-train store that's become an eyesore on a heavily traveled road here.
The township's planning board has approved a proposal to demolish the long-closed Toy Train Emporium and to replace the Coles Road building with a childcare center.
The proposed Lightbridge Academy, which would be the chain's second location in Cherry Hill, is expected to serve up to 174 children in 11 classrooms and a playroom, according to information presented to the planning board.
It would employ about 30 people.
The childcare facility, with separate playgrounds for infants and preschoolers, also would extend through an adjacent property to the 2400 block of Church Road.
The developer would raze a former home and two smaller buildings on the Church Road property to complete a 1.5-acre parcel.
The center would occupy 12,000 square feet, about half the size of the toy store, according to developers Kalpesh Patel and Piyush Patel of East Brunswick.
Kalpesh Patel previously developed a Lightbridge Academy on Grove Street in 2018.
Board members voted 8-1 to advance the plan after the Patels agreed to make several changes, including an increase for drop-off spots in the center's parking lot.
"This is a very impressive plan," said board member Alise Panitch, calling the proposed center "a tremendous upgrade."
The forlorn-looking toy store is in a state of decay on a trash-strewn lot near the intersection of the former Church Road circle. It is largely vacant, although part of the building is still used for shoe storage, according to the application.
Anne Madden Tufano cast the dissenting vote, citing her concern over possible safety issues in the parking lot.
The building dates back to the period that followed World War II, the application says. It formerly held a luggage store and a shoe-repair business.
Lightbridge Academy, a franchise-based chain based in Iselin, Middlesex County, has more than 140 centers open or in development in 11 states.
The chain, founded in 1997, serves children ages six weeks through kindergarten, according to its website. It also offers "special programming" for children up to 10 years old.
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Lightbridge Academy is expected to serve preschoolers in 11 classrooms
