CICERO — The site of a former bowling alley in Cicero has been transformed into a new CountryMax retail store after a six-month renovation project. CountryMax’s previous Cicero location was tucked at the end of a shopping plaza. The store was there for about six years, says Ethan Payne of CountryMax. The new site, at […]
CICERO — The site of a former bowling alley in Cicero has been transformed into a new CountryMax retail store after a six-month renovation project.
CountryMax’s previous Cicero location was tucked at the end of a shopping plaza. The store was there for about six years, says Ethan Payne of CountryMax.
The new site, at 5808 Crabtree Lane, is more visible. Drivers can see it easily from the road and it’s in a high-traffic area, Payne says.
The company expects a bump in customer traffic as a result, he adds.
CountryMax has 15 locations around Western and Central New York, including Cicero, Cortland, Manlius, Norwich, and Seneca Falls. The stores offer farm and garden products, pet foods and supplies, horse supplies and equipment, livestock feeds, clothing, livestock fencing, hardware, and more.
The company aims to supply rural lifestyle customers.
The new store in Cicero includes specialized, climate-controlled rooms for fish, small animals, and reptiles, Payne notes. The 15,000-square-foot location also gives the chain space so it can add a better product mix in Cicero.
Payne declined to discuss the total cost of the renovation project, but says it was a significant investment. The work involved a new roof, new heating and cooling system, new floor, new electrical service, porches in the front and back of the store, and new front and rear entrances.
The specialized pet rooms in the new location include handcrafted cages, according to the company.
CountryMax has its own construction crew and the company did most of the work on the new location itself, Payne says. It had been about 10 years since the building had any occupants, he adds.
CountryMax opened its first location in Farmington (located just north of Canandaigua) in 1984 as Farmington Farm and Garden, an Agway franchise.
The Cicero store employs about 10 people and the company employs more than 200 people total. The new store opened Aug. 21.
The remodeled building is near two abandoned homes that were recently torn down to make room for future development, according to the town of Cicero.
Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com
