New Stewart's Shops under construction in West Oneonta
Aug. 22—A new building is being erected on Oneida Street, just north of the intersection of state Routes 7 and 205 in West Oneonta — the future location of a new Stewart's Shops store.
Stewart's Shops, a family owned and operated chain of convenience stores and gas stations, currently has more than 355 locations in 32 counties in New York and Vermont.
"We couldn't be more excited to bring this brand-new shop to an amazing town," Claire Flannery, Stewart's Shops spokesperson, said via email Tuesday, " ... [located] conveniently right off the highway."
The new shop, off Interstate 88 exit 13, is slated to be the second Stewart's Shops in Oneonta and one of five in Otsego County. The other three are in Richfield Springs, Cooperstown and Worcester.
Construction started July 17. A tentative opening is scheduled for Nov. 1.
The square footage of the new shop is 4,020 square feet.
"This shop is big, which means lots of room inside for food-to-go options and outside for plenty of parking," said Geoff Kelley, Stewart's Shops services manager.
The gas station is designed to have six gas pumps with premium non-ethanol, unleaded, diesel and kero fuel options.
As for employees for the new store, there will be 10 to 12 employees, made up of a mix of both transferred long-term employees and new hires, Flannery said.
The new West End store hours are scheduled for 4 a.m. to midnight every day.
The contractor for the new store is Emco Construction, a division of Huntington Construction Inc. based in Malta.
Otsego County Chamber of Commerice President Sean Lewis said Tuesday that new businesses opening in the area "is a plus for everyone."
"We love to see any type of operation be successful," Lewis said, "and expanding to another location in this area is obviously a good thing."
The site of the new Stewart's Shops covers nearly 4 acres. The town of Oneonta Planning Board unanimously approved a subdivision of the property at its May 1 meeting. The lot was last rezoned in 2015.
According to the meeting minutes, neighboring residents expressed concern about construction noise and traffic. Planning Board Chairman Joseph Camarata said it was inevitable, as the land is zoned commercial.
Otsego County officials determined the subdivision application had no significant county-wide or inter-community impacts.
The state Department of Transportation reported no objections to the subdivision or site plan. The agency was involved with a traffic study and would continue to be involved with each new development, the meeting minutes stated.
No comments were received from the state Department of Environmental Conservation or the Oneonta town board, but it was past the required 30 days.
During the same meeting, the Planning Board unanimously approved the site plan for a Stewart's Shops and determined that the plan would not have a negative environmental impact.