Thursday August 16, 2012

NEAL P. GOSWAMI

Staff Writer

BENNINGTON -- The local Price Chopper store is expected to undergo a major renovation that will result in an expanded pharmacy and wine selection, according to a local official.

Larry McLeod, a building inspector and code enforcement officer for the town, said Price Chopper officials have submitted plans for the extensive renovation. Town officials are now reviewing those plans, he said.

"It looks like a face-lift, inside and out," McLeod said.

The plans submitted by Price Chopper will cost more than $750,000 to complete according to estimates in the store's permit application.

$760,000

"The price tag they put on it was

$760,000 in renovation costs. They're going to be moving some departments around in there. It looks like the floral department is going to move to another section and the wine section is going to expand into where the flower section was," he said.

The proposed plan also shows an expanded pharmacy, new refrigeration units, new checkout counters and a move of self-checkout lines to the opposite side, McLeod said. The sushi station also appears to be moving, he said, and the prepared foods section will be updated.

"When I look at the plan it looks like new coolers, new shelving units, new refrigerated single-standing units," he said.

Additional cosmetic changes will be made on the inside and outside of the building, according to the plans.

The project is a major undertaking, McLeod said. "Three-quarters of a million dollars is a lot," he said. "It's a good-sized renovation project for an existing building."

David Nold, the project manager for Price Chopper, said town officials have indicated that permits could be approved as soon as next week. Work will begin early next month if permits are approved,according to Nold.

"We're looking to start right after Labor Day and get finished probably toward the end of January," he said.

The store will not be closed during the construction. Nold said construction will likely be put on hold around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, however.

McLeod said no hearings are required before the Development Review Board because the store is not expanding its footprint. "It's just renovations to an existing use that's already approved," he said.

The Monument Plaza Shopping Center has undergone recent changes, and more are likely. A Petco store opened last month next to the Price Chopper. The plaza owner, Redstone Development, is currently in a struggle to obtain permits to expand the Walmart store, which is in a building adjacent to the Price Chopper.

Local and state permits have been granted but are being appealed in the state's Environmental Court.