sponsored by
10/02/2009
enlarge
Staff photo by Scott Monroefrom the Kennebec Journal
BUDGET CUTS ORDERED
Many happy returns in Richmond
Tax woes land on Whitefield
Rapist denied new trial
AUGUSTA MINDING A MINE
SPORT OF KINGS Falconry a blend of dedication and commitment
COLLEGE HOCKEY: Maine rallies but falls short against Boston College
COLLEGE ROUNDUP: Colby women win season opener at home tournament
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
WEDDING BURGLAR JAILED
Youths talk Turkey Day
Plenty of free Thanksgiving meals available
Turkey prices make for happier holiday
Kennebec County Superior Court
POLICE
COLLEGE HOCKEY: Maine rallies but falls short against Boston College
COLLEGE ROUNDUP: Colby women win season opener at home tournament
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
PITTSFIELD -- The landmark business center just off Interstate 95, the Somerset Plaza, is getting a major facelift.
A big expansion project is winding down for Bud's Shop 'N' Save, the town's only grocery store, which is inside the plaza. Meanwhile, the plaza's owner has decided to have the parking lot repaved to coincide with the store's expansion.
Dean Homstead, whose company Homstead Enterprises owns the Shop 'N' Save stores in Pittsfield, Newport and Dexter, said the expansion began this past spring and is slated to be mostly done by mid-November.
"We're very limited on variety and so this is something we needed to do for some years now and we decided there's some time to do it," Homstead said.
Now, the Bud's space totals 15,500 square feet; the 7,400-square-foot expansion will boost the store's total footprint to nearly 23,000, Homstead said.
Extra space will allow the store to include a pharmacy, run by Community Pharmacies of Augusta, Homstead said, plus additional room for frozen foods, dairy, produce and meats and deli. Homstead also plans to install new energy-efficient features to the building to cut back on costs.
A few more employees may be needed with the bigger store, he said. Homstead declined to say how much the expansion may cost, but said "it's a lot."
"It's a big project for this company and we're pleased to be able to offer that to Pittsfield and the surrounding community," Homstead said. "There'll be a whole new decor; the interior will be new. It will look like a brand new store when we get done."
Though major work on the building expansion will be done next month, interior work such as installing new shelves and repainting will continue until January, Homstead said.
Bud's has been in Pittsfield for about 50 years and in its current location in the Somerset Plaza since 1988, Homstead said.
Stan Kitchin, owner of Stan Norris & Sons of Palmyra, was working with his team at the plaza on Wednesday afternoon, re-paving the parking lot near Bud's.
"It's in pretty rough shape," Kitchin said. "I paved it back in the '70s."
Tom Auger, owner of the plaza for the last eight years, said he had a portion of the parking lot re-paved last year and he decided to finish the entire lot this year because of Bud's expansion. It cost about $100,000 for each paving project, he said.
Auger said he's hoping to further enliven the plaza by responding to community requests for a coffee shop in the plaza.
"I'm hoping to lure a free-standing coffee shop, whether it's Dunkin' Donuts or a Tim Horton's, or both, because it's right off the exit," Auger said. "It could be a free-standing building" in the plaza.
Scott Monroe -- 861-9253
smonroe@centralmaine.com
Reader comments
Click here to view or add reader comments