Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

MASSENA -- Nearly 100 jobs are leaving the Massena area as two big stores have announced plans to close.

Hannaford will close on July 21. They employ somewhere between 62 people, according to a statement from the company.

“At a time when the store’s lease would need to be renewed, Hannaford made the difficult business decision to close the supermarket, which has not met financial expectations,” the statement reads.

“We are announcing this closure nearly eight months in advance to give as much notice as possible,” Eric Blom, Hannaford spokesman, said in a news release. “We will continue to provide customers with the same products and services they expect from us in Massena through July 21.”

Any employee who does not accept a new position with Hannaford will receive severance and support services to find alternate employment, Blom said.

The building’s owners are looking to find a new tenant to replace Hannaford.

“We’ve been actively looking for alternative users ... after Hannaford elected not to renew (their lease),” said Scott Burdett, vice president of brokerage services for Flaum Management Company, which handles property management at the St. Lawrence Plaza.

Hannaford originally opened in the early 1990s as Sun Foods, and changed its name several years later.

Bon-Ton will shut down when their lease with the St. Lawrence Centre mall expires on Jan. 31, according to a news release from the company.

The closing will impact about 35 employees, who will be offered interviews at other stores or career transition benefits, such as severance, the release said.

“We would like to thank the loyal customers who have shopped with Bon-Ton over the years as well as our devoted store associates for their dedication and friendly customer service to this community,” Bill Tracy, president and chief executive officer for The Bon-Ton Stores, said in a prepared statement.

People can go to the company’s website at bonton.com for promotions and merchandise.

The Bon-Ton closure will leave the mall with one anchor store, J.C. Penney’s. Bon-Ton originally opened with the mall in 1990 as Chappel’s, which bought the chain several years later.