Grocer to occupy former Wegmans site

SYRACUSE — Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is selling a former North Side store location to a developer who will lease the space to another grocer.

Wegmans, which closed its Pond Street store at the end of June, announced today that it has signed an agreement to sell the location to Morgan Acquisitions, LLC. The developer has indicated it will lease the space to an unnamed grocer.

“We have been doing business at this location for 40 years and feel a strong connection to our Pond Street neighbors,” Shari Constantine, senior vice president and Syracuse division manager for Wegmans, said in a news release. “It’s the reason why we put off closing this store for so many years. Our company’s decision to allow a grocer to occupy this space should give the residents of this community convenient access to food shopping.”

Wegmans announced June 1 it would close the store and offered all 140 employees positions at other area Wegmans stores. After the store closed, Wegmans arranged for a free weekly bus shuttle for senior residents of Vinette Towers to Wegmans’ nearby James Street store. Wegmans also donated more than $20,000 worth of product to area churches and organizations after the store closed.

“Wegmans’ executives have worked openly and tirelessly with the city, neighbors, and CenterState CEO to come up with this welcome solution — addressing the company’s needs, preserving jobs, and ensuring continued access to a full-line supermarket for north side residents who have depended on this store for generations,” CenterState CEO President Robert Simpson said in a release.

Wegmans has 80 stores in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

Contact DeLore at tdelore@cnybj.com