Everything about the plans for the new The Fresh Market in Latham is fresh,
from the produce that is to be sold to the meat and seafood that you will be
able to purchase at the exact size and piece you want. But even fresher is
the revitalization of a plaza whose empty storefronts and vacant lot have
left a hole in the heart of Latham for years.
Plans to fill that hole became a reality as Colonie town officials, leaders
of the Colonie and Albany-Colonie chambers of commerce, Assemblyman Bob
Reilly, D-Newtonville, and representatives from Benderson Development and
The Fresh Market gathered on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to break ground on the 58,000
square feet that are being demolished on the corner of Rt. 9 and Watervliet
Shaker Road for what will now be called The Fresh Market Commons.
The Fresh Market is a specialty grocery store, smaller than a traditional
grocery store, which offers many traditional and non-traditional products.
According to Drewry Sackett, a representative from The Fresh Market, the
store that is being constructed in Latham will feature fresh produce, an
old-fashioned candy section, seafood and meats, a fully-stocked bakery as
well as many other non-perishable items. The store will be self-service in
the sense that customers will be able to choose which piece of meat they
receive, he said.
Sackett explained that the difference between this store and a Trader Joe s
is that the majority of the foods are non-perishable and come with a variety
of brands, whereas Trader Joe s sells its own brand products.
Many community members were at first uneasy about the idea of The Fresh
Market because they would have preferred to see a Trader Joe s in town.
Bruce Roter, president of We Want Trader Joe s in the Capital District, or
WWTJ, said, at the groundbreaking, that the group, which has over 3,500
members, has learned more about The Fresh Market and now welcomes the store
to the community.
Their expansion here is a step in the right direction and today s
groundbreaking not only develops this corner but creates a more diverse
landscape for retail food shopping in our community, he said in a written
release he handed out at the event. This occasion sends a clear signal that
when it comes to new and improved grocery stores, New York State s Capital
District is open for business!
Roter said that the group has been pushing for Trader Joe s mostly because
the community needs a specialty store-a store that carries more than more
traditional grocery stores in the way of exotic and special foods. Roter is
confident that the community will be getting this specialty appeal with The
Fresh Market.
The store will be 23,000 square feet big-26,000 feet is being demolished and
restored to build the store. Surrounding the store will be nearly an acre of
green space, including small islands in the parking lot that will be seeded
with trees.
Pedestrians will also be able to take advantage of larger sidewalks and
walkways that are lined with benches, creating a path for what the
developers hope will be a 14,000 square-foot pharmacy that occupies the
other end of the plaza. The developers also plan to entirely re-do the
faCade of the plaza, creating added appeal and drawing customers to the
corner and plaza.
The faced will be done with brick veneer and cultured stone.
This project was approved by the Colonie Planning Board in June. Since then,
town officials have been excited about the plaza getting a new face.
Town Supervisor Paula Mahan thanked The Fresh Market for choosing Colonie to
set up its first New York store and third store in the Northeast.
I love to cook, so I m very excited about having a specialty store near my
home, she said.
Mahan went on to call the project a win-win for both the town and The
Fresh Market.
This development is going to bring new life to this corner, she said at
the groundbreaking. The development of the store will also bring many
jobs-many of which will be hired locally, Sackett said.
The store is expected to be finished and opened in Fall 2010. Sackett said
prices will be very competitive, and that the quality will be better than
what you would find in a traditional grocery store.
For an update to the story visit www.spotlightnews.com or see the Tuesday, Oct. 14 issue of the Colonie Spotlight`