BUSINESS: Newfane may lure second bidder for grocery store

By Bill Wolcott/wolcottb@gnnewspaper.com
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

NEWFANE March 19, 2008 04:07 am

— The owners of the building that housed Shurfine Market are looking for a new client to fill the vacant supermarket at 2555 Main St.
Frank Budwey, of Budwey stores in North Tonawanda and Buffalo, pulled away from the project, deciding to invest the money in existing stores.
Herald Ford Inc. of Andover owns the building, as well as about 20 other properties and strip plazas in New York state and Pennsylvania.
“We’re looking to re-lease it again as a grocery store,” said Lynette Murphy, the Herald Ford office manager. “We know Newfane wants a grocery store. We have contacts with grocers. We do have someone else looking, but don’t want to say who it is.”
The unnamed second store showed interest when Shurfine closed in January, but gave way to Budwey’s initiative, according to Murphy.
Herald Ford intends to take plans to the Niagara County IDA within the next week. The Town of Newfane hopes to get a low-cost power cost incentive.
“We’re suffering,” Newfane Supervisor Tim Horanburg said Tuesday. “We need to get a grocery store. The building is in decent shape, but the equipment is old.”