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When Hartsdale's Pathmark closed in April, residents, including Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, expressed a need for a new grocery store to take over the lot.
By the end of this summer, the Korean grocer H-Mart will open, specializing in fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood. The store is 37,000-square-feet and quite large for a standard Korean market.
"Their timeline is ASAP," said John Lucido, Greenburgh's building inspector. "The town is busy. People want to come here."
While other stores expressed interest in the lot, only H-Mart submitted paperwork. They are expected to file for their permit in the next two weeks, said Lucido. They can move into the lot shortly after the permit is approved by the building department. Since no additional construction is required, they only need time to clean the interior and repaint.
"People don't want to feel that they're living in a community that people don't want to open businesses in," said Feiner. "When you have a bad economy, what you really want to do is have people feel good about the town. And I think they are."
While some residents were excited to hear of H-Mart's presence, others took issue, citing that a specialty store cannot provide the town with the same services and items that Pathmark did.
The Central Avenue strip features other grocery stores, including Morton Williams, Trader Joe's, and Apple Farm nearby on Main Street.
Pathmark closed on April 15 after the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company filed for bankruptcy and chose to close 32 of their stores, including five in Westchester County. The Hartsdale location, along with the A&P on Route 119, was chosen because they were not making enough money and their rent was expiring.
H-Mart was created in 1982 and now has just less than 40 stores nationwide.
Where do you shop for groceries?
Did Pathmark's closing have an effect on you?
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