Date: Fri 11-Apr-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Big-Y-Kasper-shopping-center

Full Text:

Big Y Construction Finally Under Way

w/cut

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The oft-delayed expansion of Newtown Shopping Center finally appears to be

moving ahead in earnest.

Workmen have partially demolished a rear section of the main building at the

center and have begun building a concrete foundation for the Big Y supermarket

planned for the Queen Street facility.

The expansion project is intended to revitalize the town center through the

redevelopment of a facility that has deteriorated since the A&P Supermarket

left the site several years ago.

Joseph Kasper, head of The Kasper Group, wasn't available for comment Thursday

morning. Mr Kasper, the center's landlord, is doing the expansion project.

Commercial tenants located in the plaza will be relocating to other existing

quarters there.

Work is also underway to renovate the former post office building in the plaza

for use by My Place Restaurant.

The section of the main building at the plaza where My Place Restaurant is now

housed will be demolished as part of the redevelopment project.

Stephen B. Hurwitz, the director of real estate for Big Y Foods, Inc, of

Springfield, Mass., has said Big Y is eager to move into a new store in

Newtown.

The shopping center expansion project will more than double the size of the

center, bringing the amount of enclosed space up from the existing 54,000

square feet to almost 115,000 square feet. Of the 115,000 square feet, the Big

Y supermarket will cover almost 57,000 square feet.

When completed, the shopping center will have 570 parking spaces. It now has

about 300 spaces.

With the construction of a new Big Y supermarket, Newtown will have three

major food markets. Grand Union on Queen Street and Super Stop & Shop on South

Main Street are the others.

Most residents who spoke on the shopping center redevelopment project at a

past Borough Zoning Commission public hearing earlier this year voiced support

for the expansion plan. However, some said they fear that an expanded shopping

center will generate more traffic on streets in the town center, and

especially on the heavily-traveled Church Hill Road, posing yet more traffic

congestion problems there.

Mr Kasper has said he based his decision to build a supermarket on Big Y's

expertise in the food retailing industry. Big Y Foods, Inc, agreed to a

20-year lease for a supermarket building, with options to extend the term of

the lease to 40 years, he has said.

Mr Kasper has said he plans to redevelop the shopping center to economically

revitalize and beautify the central business district.

"This (town center) will become a center of commerce," after Newtown Shopping

Center is expanded to about 18 tenants, according to Mr Kasper.