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Tops Market on Portage Road is getting a pharmacy and other new investment according to the grocery store’s headquarters.
The news comes in the wake of rumors earlier this year that the corporate owners were considering closing the vital neighborhood resource.
The plaza at 1000 Portage Road changed hands earlier this year for $11.89 million. The plaza last changed hands in 2007 when BG Portage Stop purchased it for $11.47 million from Ronald and Randal Benderson who purchased the plaza for $7.2 million in 2007. BG Portage is an LLC owned by a New York City-based real estate company Gershon and Co. The new investor is Sky Capital Markets according to Buffalo Business First.
The property was the first modern Tops Market built by the founding Castellani and Dimino families as well as other investors in 1962. The store has declined along with the surrounding neighborhood. Alfonso Dimino moved on to Lewiston where the Dimino Tops is the last store bearing the Tops name not corporate owned. It is run today by Anthony Dimino. Alfonso name graces the amphitheater at Academy Park.
During a series of meetings in Fall, 2023 Tops executives met with community members at Word of Life Church and pledged to make some improvements to the store while acknowledging the challenges of doing business in the neighborhood. Challenges include both by uncompetitive wages and dealing with excessive losses from shoplifting.
Tops Corporate, in response to questions from the Express regarding the current planned expansion, sent the following statement:
“Tops Friendly Markets has a proud history in Niagara Falls and a longstanding commitment to serving the city. Our store on Portage Road remains open daily and ready to serve the community with the convenience, variety, quality and value that our neighbors rely on.
“We are excited to share we are planning additional investment into the store in the coming months. Most notably, Tops will be opening a full-service pharmacy to meet a critical neighborhood need. We will also be making several incremental improvements to the store to provide a thoughtful refresh to the shopping experience.
“Meeting the grocery needs of any neighborhood requires ongoing collaboration with community leaders and business partners, ranging from suppliers to landlords. That’s especially true in Niagara Falls, where we have enjoyed a close partnership with city officials and neighbors who have supported our efforts to serve the community. As just one example, the city collaborated with us in 2024 to establish a Niagara Falls Police Department substation at Portage Road to contribute to public safety and enhance community outreach.
“We are grateful for our partnership with the City of Niagara Falls and looking forward to greeting our customers at our Portage Road store today and every day.”
Here is a link to an article published by the Express in November, 2023 when the store was last in the news. It includes a laundry-list of store improvements that were promised. One of the things the Express likes best was the addition of a bike rack. https://niagaraexpress.town.news/g/niagara-falls-ny/n/228741/tops-tries
