Hannaford buys Slater’s Great American
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| Shoppers leaving the Great American Plaza Friday. The complex has been purchased by the Hannaford supermarket chain. The inset photo shows work being done last year at the Route 23B property that a real estate company hoped to develop for a grocery store. Photo by Claude Haton |
Deal catches many by surprise
By Doron Tyler Antrim
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
CAIRO — In a move that seemed to catch planners and officials off guard, supermarket chain Hannaford announced Friday it will acquire Slater’s Great American Plaza and build a new grocery store on the property.
A company spokesman and Ellsworth “Unk” Slater, the owner of Great American, declined to discuss details of the transaction Friday.
Hannaford plans to demolish the current supermarket and build a 35,000-square-foot store, including a pharmacy.
“We’re excited to bring a Hannaford supermarket and pharmacy to the Cairo area,” said company spokesman Matt Paul in a news release. “Slater’s has served the residents of this community well and has been an excellent partner throughout this process. We’re looking forward to providing our customary great service and everyday low prices and becoming a part of this community.”
A closing date for Great American has not been announced.
Hannaford said it will seek certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. “We’ll also emphasize recycling cardboard, plastic and other materials in our daily operations — as we do in every Hannaford location — to increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact,” Paul said.
The store would employ about 100 workers.
Cairo Town Supervisor John Coyne said he and Town Councilman Doug Ostrander met with Hannaford Thursday about the deal.
The acquisition of Great American comes after Charter Realty & Development Corp. worked for most of last year on a plan to build a supermarket within a mile of the plaza, threatening Slater’s dominance in Cairo.
Paul said Hannaford did look at Charter Realty’s proposal, which called for constructing a 40,000-square-foot grocery store at a cost of $4.5 million.
The deadline has passed for the Cairo Planning Board to approve Charter Realty’s final site plan. But the future of development on the Route 23B parcel remains open-ended.
“I really don’t know how it’s going to play out,” said Planning Board Chairman Dan Benoit. “It hasn’t fallen by the wayside.”
Benoit said he didn’t know if Charter Realty knew of the acquisition.
Charter Realty representative Karen Johnson, who shepherded her company’s proposal through the planning board, did not return a call seeking comment Friday.
A company spokesman and Ellsworth “Unk” Slater, the owner of Great American, declined to discuss details of the transaction Friday.
Hannaford plans to demolish the current supermarket and build a 35,000-square-foot store, including a pharmacy.
“We’re excited to bring a Hannaford supermarket and pharmacy to the Cairo area,” said company spokesman Matt Paul in a news release. “Slater’s has served the residents of this community well and has been an excellent partner throughout this process. We’re looking forward to providing our customary great service and everyday low prices and becoming a part of this community.”
A closing date for Great American has not been announced.
Hannaford said it will seek certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. “We’ll also emphasize recycling cardboard, plastic and other materials in our daily operations — as we do in every Hannaford location — to increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact,” Paul said.
The store would employ about 100 workers.
Cairo Town Supervisor John Coyne said he and Town Councilman Doug Ostrander met with Hannaford Thursday about the deal.
The acquisition of Great American comes after Charter Realty & Development Corp. worked for most of last year on a plan to build a supermarket within a mile of the plaza, threatening Slater’s dominance in Cairo.
Paul said Hannaford did look at Charter Realty’s proposal, which called for constructing a 40,000-square-foot grocery store at a cost of $4.5 million.
The deadline has passed for the Cairo Planning Board to approve Charter Realty’s final site plan. But the future of development on the Route 23B parcel remains open-ended.
“I really don’t know how it’s going to play out,” said Planning Board Chairman Dan Benoit. “It hasn’t fallen by the wayside.”
Benoit said he didn’t know if Charter Realty knew of the acquisition.
Charter Realty representative Karen Johnson, who shepherded her company’s proposal through the planning board, did not return a call seeking comment Friday.
This is great news. Cairo is in such a wonderful and pretty location... the draw for Hannafords will be very wide.
ReplyDeleteglad to see anything thT WILL IMPROVE SHOPPING IN CAIRO...WILL WE GET OTHER SHOPS...& WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SHOPS IN THE PLAZA NOW???
ReplyDeleteI LIKE THE LOCAL OWNERS OF THE SHOPS THERE THE VIDEO, THE PIZZA AND THE LAUNDROMAT ...WILL WE LOOSES THEM???
@Anonymous:Cairo Video is CLOSED,but don't worry,All the other shops are going to be there.
ReplyDelete