New store to open at former Fountain and Lucas location

By DAN HEATH
Staff Writer

March 20, 2008 04:00 am

— PLATTSBURGH -- The City of Plattsburgh Zoning Board has cleared the way for the former Fountain and Lucas neighborhood convenience store to reopen.
Gregory "Paul" Goldsmith and Rebekah Herrick bought the property in mid-December and hope to open the 104 Montcalm Ave. location by May 1.
"We're going to reopen it the way it was," Herrick said.
The new store will be named Becky's. It will be open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Becky's will have grocery staples, a deli, household supplies and lunch specials, she said. Lottery tickets, cigarettes and beer -- but no kegs -- will be available.
Goldsmith said there are no plans to reopen the liquor store that used to be in the building.
They received unanimous Zoning Board approval Monday night for a special-use permit to operate a convenience store in a neighborhood zoned residential and a variance, due to a lack of six parking spaces.
In making the motion for the variance, Zoning Board member Maurica Gilbert said it was in recognition that the former store functioned very well within the last 10 years without parking and that the new store will serve mainly walk-in customers.
During a public-comment period, nearby resident Julie Quinn-Ladue said she grew up on Oak Street and frequented the Fountain and Lucas store, which closed in 1999.
"I would love to see that store reopened," she said.
Quinn-Ladue said it would be comfortable to sit on her front porch and watch her daughter walk to that store to shop.
Herrick said that's been a common reaction.
"Everybody we've talked to has been very excited," she said.
The rear of the building will be used for office and storage space. Goldsmith and Herrick live in the apartment above the store with their two children, Brian and Marissa Goldsmith.
Goldsmith said he used to run a DJ service but wanted to open a different business. The decision to open a grocery store came after his father, Greg, had success with Goldie's grocery on Sailly Avenue.
"He's been invaluable, telling me what sells over there," Goldsmith said.
He said they are open to ideas as to what they should carry and urged neighbors to put suggestions in the store mailbox.
They bought the store in December from Goldsmith's aunt, Elizabeth Duhaime, the owner of Punki's Shear Perfection. They hope to open the store by May 1 but acknowledged there is a lot of work to do.
Herrick said the counters, coolers and shelves are in very good shape. Goldsmith and friends will be working on renovating the ceiling and giving the store a new paint job.
Much of the equipment also remains in working condition, including coolers, a walk-in freezer and even a meat slicer.
As he works to renovate the building, Goldsmith said, he's come across many old photos and other memorabilia. There's even an envelope with some money that belongs to a forgotten customer.
"If you can find Bob Crane, I have his 88 cents," he said.
dheath@pressrepublican.com

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.