Clearing The Way For New Amherst Whole Foods

Former Bon Ton store in Amherst [Dale Mussen photo][/caption]Demolition of the former Bon Ton store in the Northtown Plaza on Sheridan Drive in Amherst is well underway clearing the way for a new Whole Foods grocery store.  The grocery store features natural and organic foods.

The development company that bought the property says it'll take about six months to clear and prepare the property and another six months to build the store.  Whole Foods will likely open sometime during the spring of 2016.

The 50,000 square foot Whole Foods store in Amherst will be the first in New York State. The company also plans to invest $10-million to renovate the entire plaza.

The store being demolished originally opened as a Hens & Kelly department store in 1961. Hens & Kelly closed in 1982 and later reopened as Bon Ton.

Whole Foods operates 379 stores across the country.