PENFIELD, N.Y. – Oct. 24, 2013 – Today, a street of shops emerged at BayTowne Plaza in Penfield, marking the completion of the first phase of construction in the redevelopment of the Penfield shopping center. Dozens gathered to officially open the street of shops for business, including owner, The DiMarco Group, Penfield town leaders and current retail tenants.
The street of shops connects the existing plaza to where a newly constructed Walmart Supercenter will eventually be located. The redevelopment also includes updated facades and a new entry into the shopping center from nearby Brandt Point. The DiMarco Group owners say the updates are intended to attract national and specialty retailers to the shopping center, as well as enhance overall commerce in the town of Penfield.
“We committed to creating a shopping center that attracts nationally recognized brands to BayTowne in Penfield while helping existing tenants do more business here – and its working,” said John DiMarco, II, president of The DiMarco Group. “This is proven by the recent transition of Premier Fitness to national franchisee Planet Fitness, and the growth that several of our existing tenants have experienced since the start of the redevelopment.”
Long-time retail tenant, BayTowne Liquor, remained open through the redevelopment and has experienced increased traffic and sales. The store also recently secured a multi-million dollar New York State Lottery winner.
“The BayTowne renovation has put BayTowne Plaza back on the map,” said Peter Nowak, owner of BayTowne Liquor. “Our customers can’t stop talking about how fantastic things look and we can’t stop talking about all of the amazing things still to come. We are so proud to be part of the BayTowne and DiMarco team!”
DiMarco said he and his leasing team have had ongoing conversations with retailers and restaurants regarding the leasing of space at the shopping center. DiMarco also offers space at BayTowne to area organizations that run community fundraisers and seasonal retailers that seek space to conduct commerce outside of their usual retail setting. Later this week, on October 25, the Dado Fashion Show to benefit Wilmot Cancer Center will be hosted at BayTowne.
DiMarco added, “Today is an exciting day, but there is certainly more in store at BayTowne.”
The History of BayTowne’s Redevelopment
In a unanimous decision, the Penfield Town Board voted in December in favor of rezoning a parcel of property adjacent to the BayTowne shopping center from residential to commercial. The approval was the result of a collaborative process between The DiMarco Group, the Town of Penfield and Penfield residents. The approved plan includes the rezoning of 7.95 acres of land adjacent to the shopping center from residential to general business, and an expansion of the current Walmart store to a Walmart Supercenter.
Construction at BayTowne began immediately following the Town of Penfield board meeting, with the cut-through of the former Tops building, which initiated the recently completed construction.
