Smithfield Gateway Progress?? (Allentown, Reading, Scranton: appliances, lender, restaurant)

[Rogue0888]

anyone see anything more on this project? good or bad?

last thing i've read was pocono record from 1/26/17

1,000 jobs come with Smithfield Gateway project - News - poconorecord.com - Stroudsburg, PA



Other than that I drove by recently and a new restaurant has taken the place of what was the 'Blue Tequila'

Just curious.

[jtab4994]

Haven't seen or heard any activity going on there.


The last line in the article quotes the developer as saying "For us to start in the summer of 2017, we will need to have at least half our retail space pre-leased. Our lender will require that." I wonder if their lenders are looking at all the vacant retail space around the country and putting the brakes on the deal.


(Thanks Pocono Record for making it impossible for me to copy/paste the quote. Low class.)

[fisheye]

Wasn't this supposedly the new location of a Wegmans? I know that many area residents have looked forward to the food chain coming to our County. If they would anchor this project I do not think that it would fail - but we do not know the details or, if in fact, they are interested.

[Rogue0888]

Originally Posted by fisheye

Wasn't this supposedly the new location of a Wegmans? I know that many area residents have looked forward to the food chain coming to our County. If they would anchor this project I do not think that it would fail - but we do not know the details or, if in fact, they are interested.

I think the wegmans thing was only speculated by us, here I don't know anyone had anything concrete on that. It just peaked my curiosity because the article says begin summer 2017....aaannnddd its july.

[MaverickDD]

Yesterday: Smithfield Gateway gets approval - News - poconorecord.com - Stroudsburg, PA

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Rogue0888

I think the wegmans thing was only speculated by us, here I don't know anyone had anything concrete on that. It just peaked my curiosity because the article says begin summer 2017....aaannnddd its july.

I am curious if anybody has pitched our area to Wegmans? 20 years ago, while working in Carlisle PA, I went to the corporate headquarters of the Giant food chain and did just that. We had very little competition in our area and I wanted more to help keep down prices and keep the quality up. I really do not know if my 'pitch' made any difference; but we do have a Giant.

In that line of thinking; here is the Wegmans' 'contact us' corporate link: https://www.wegmans.com/service/contact-us.html. The more consumers that pitch our area the more likely they will take notice.

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by fisheye

I am curious if anybody has pitched our area to Wegmans?

Depends on what you mean by "our area". There's a Giant in Monroe County, but it's way up in Bartonsville. I've been there a couple of times because of a couple of specialty items they carry, but I'd never drive all the way up there from Shawnee to do my regular grocery shopping.


I can conveniently drive to Weis, Price Chopper, Foodtown, Walmart, and Shop Rite. That's 5 pretty big stores (well, the Mignosi's Foodtown is kind of on the small side). I hate to be a party-pooper but I'm not that interested in Wegman's unless their Gas Points program is better than Weis.

[boney89]

Will see hopefully they bring some infrastructure with project because roads are already clogged as it is.wegamans exist not far by 33 but is kind of pricey for daily grocery. Then lidl is one the way to burg.shoprite need move asap from that old building is terrible experience shop there.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

Depends on what you mean by "our area". There's a Giant in Monroe County, but it's way up in Bartonsville. I've been there a couple of times because of a couple of specialty items they carry, but I'd never drive all the way up there from Shawnee to do my regular grocery shopping.


I can conveniently drive to Weis, Price Chopper, Foodtown, Walmart, and Shop Rite. That's 5 pretty big stores (well, the Mignosi's Foodtown is kind of on the small side). I hate to be a party-pooper but I'm not that interested in Wegman's unless their Gas Points program is better than Weis.

It isn't so much what is convenient; it is more about competition. There was a time when we had very little competition in the Poconos. Many of us older ones remember having to drive to Scranton, Easton, Allentown or even Reading to go shopping (not so much for food; but for clothing and appliances). However; our food prices were historically higher than surrounding areas - just not high enough to justify the trip. Even though we will probably not take too many trips to Shawnee to shop at Wegmans (if they do in fact go in); it will still pressure surrounding chains to do a better job.

For us to shop Shoprite and Walmart are a good, easy, choice for us. We do have a Weis; but it is not our preference.

[quiet life]

I am voting for a Whole Foods market to go in that development. My 2nd choice would be Wegman's though.