With controversy behind it, Stewart’s to open in Marcellus

Marcellus, NY — Just five months after getting its site plans approved by the village, Stewart’s Shops is set to open in Marcellus.

The new convenience store/gas station is on the site of the former Nojaim’s Brothers at 27 E. Main St. (Route 175) in the village.

The shop is set to open Wednesday morning, Stewart’s officials said.

“We want to continue the sense of community that Nojaim’s brought to the village,‘’ said Robin Cooper, speaking for Stewart’s.

At first, the proposal to replace Nojaim’s with Stewart’s faced opposition. When Nojaim announced he was closing the community staple after 40 years in May, local officials were upset.

At first, they blocked the sale (and Nojaim’s retirement plans) by placing a six-month moratorium on land-use approvals in the village. That would have delayed any plans Nojaim had to sell to Stewart’s.

But residents pushed back, and that prompted the village to elect a new mayor, who ran as a write-in candidate.

The 4,300-square-foot shop will sell an expanded variety of groceries and three gas islands with a total of six pumps.

The model is one used in areas where small independent grocery stores have closed, such as Frankfort in Herkimer County, Indian Lake in Hamilton County and Port Henry in Essex County, Stewart’s said.

Stewart’s officials had told the village after demolishing the former Nojaim’s, it would take about 10 weeks to construct the store and gas pumps. The plan has been to open the store by winter, and that goal was reached, Cooper said.

The Saratoga Springs-based Stewart’s operates 357 shops across New York and Vermont.