GLENVILLE — Target has Glenville in its sights.
What had long been speculated has been officially confirmed: the national retailer plans to demolish the vacant Kmart plaza on Route 50 and build a 135,000-square-foot store at the site.
Metroplex Development Authority officials had announced in October that a “major national retailer” had signed an agreement with property owner RD Management to occupy the space. The retailer did not want its name announced until it had obtained all the approvals for the new store.
However, on its website under “properties,” RD Management lists the Glenville location. When the link is clicked, a site plan appears showing three total properties and its largest is labeled Target, complete with its bull’s-eye logo.
Glenville Town Supervisor Chris Koetzle said project officials appeared before the Planning and Zoning Commission Monday at its agenda meeting and will be at its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the Glenville Municipal Center at 18 Glenridge Road.
While the developer has not submitted a complete application, it has already filed a site plan, traffic study and environmental assessment for the town’s review.
The site plan also includes a 30,000-square-foot space attached to Target’s building labeled for retail and a pad for a 5,800-square-foot restaurant.
The discount retailer is looking to obtain approvals by May 2011, according to Koetzle.
“They hope to begin construction around the fall of 2011 and hope to be on target — no pun intended — by October 2012,” he said.
The privately funded project will cost $17 million. Metroplex is serving as lead agency to assist in the approval process.
Koetzle credited the town and county working together to make this redevelopment a reality. “I think it’s a real sign that Glenville is a place where business wants to come and invest,” he said.
Target officials are still being coy, only saying that the company has no stores scheduled to open in 2011 but can confirm that it will open one new store in New York in 2012.
“The reason for this timing is to avoid disappointment and/or misinformation within a community if store opening plans change,” according to a company statement.
The company had said in 2009 it was no longer interested in the town but has changed course. A sticking point apparently was that RD Management wanted to retain ownership of the property and lease it to a business, while Target wanted to own their building outright. The two other buildings on the property will be leased out by RD Management.
The plaza has been vacant since August 2006 when Kmart left as part of a downsizing of its stores. Albany Public Market and later a Grand Union also occupied a portion of the site at one time. The entire vacant plaza will be demolished to make way for the new retail operations.