New grocery store planned for downtown Riverhead
Riverhead Town officials have been trying to attract a supermarket or grocery store to the downtown area for many years. And now it looks as if though one may open there soon.
The former Riverhead Flower Shop on the corner of East Main Street and Union Avenue is proposed to become the Riverhead Meat Market and Grocery Store, according to its application filed at the town building department.
The flower shop relocated near down the street earlier this year.
The grocery store’s application includes a plan to install a refrigerated meat processing area, a walk-in freezer and a butcher saw.
The application also states the applicant plans to put new ceramic tiles on the floor throughout the entire store and will be installing a 24-foot open refrigerator for vegetables, a 24-foot refrigerator for beverages, a 15-foot refrigerator for frozen food, an 18-foot refrigerator for beef and pork, and a 12-foot refrigerator for chicken.
The nearly 9,350-square foot property is part of a building owned by Senebo Realty Inc. of Woodbury.
Mark Nunez, who’s listed as the contact person for the applicant, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Ray Pickersgill, president of the downtown Riverhead Business Improvement District Management Association, said he believes this type of business could help downtown Riverhead.
“We do need a little supermarket,” he said in an interview. “Especially if the proposed apartments [in the former Sears building site] goes though, there will be a lot of people living in the area.”
There’s a pending proposal to demolish the vacant Sears building and build 160 apartments with retail on the ground floor.
Town officials have long said that creating apartments downtown will lead to things like food stores moving in.
“I think this is going to be interesting,” Mr. Pickersgill said.
Photo: The former Riverhead Flower Shop storefront is slated to become Riverhead Meat Market and Grocery Store under a new plan filed with the town. (Credit: Tim Gannon)
