Wegmans on Pond Street
/ file photo
SYRACUSE -- The Wegmans on Pond Street in the north side of Syracuse will close next month but the city administration and neighbors are hopeful another chain will be willing to take over the site. Ben Walsh, from Syracuse's Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, said the city has had conversations with several grocery store operators on national and regional levels about moving in.
It was announced last week that the store would close after seeing "a shift in business." Wegmans spokesperson Evelyn Carter said no grocery chains have contacted them expressing interest in the building so far.
Price-Rite Supermarkets were one of the chains contacted by the City of Syracuse about taking over the Pond Street store. Price-Rite is currently building a brand new store at the corner of Teall Ave. and Erie Blvd. near Downtown Syracuse. Santina Stankevich from Price-Rite said the chain is "always open to new opportunities but we have no confirmed plans for Syracuse beyond the site at Erie and Teall."
The City of Syracuse has been talking with several national and regional grocery chains about taking over the Pond Street location. Deputy Director of Neighborhood Business Development Ben Walsh said the city knows how important a local grocery store is to many neighbors who don't have access to a car.
"I think what we've heard is that there is interest. Whether or not that translates into a new store, I think that remains to be seen but we're certainly having those conversations," said Walsh
