Pathmark Location to remain a Supermarket

The Pathmark in the Marketplace at Huntingdon Valley is expected to close by the end of this month or into the first week of March.

This will leave a 52,000 square-foot empty retail space in the shopping center.

New Century Associates, a long-time, family-run business, is the property owner of the Marketplace at Huntingdon Valley shopping center.

According to the business’ owner, Stan Casacio, New Century Associates disagreed with A&P Tea Co.’s move to make its store a Pathmark, approximately five years ago.

According to Casacio, prior to its conversion, the Pathmark was originally a SuperFresh. This SuperFresh was a part of the Marketplace at Huntingdon Valley when the shopping center opened in May of 1992.

“As soon as it converted to a Pathmark, people just wouldn’t accept it,” Casacio said.

As , the Pathmark closure in Huntingdon Valley is part of A&P Tea Co.’s plan to get out of bankruptcy.

Casacio added that a majority of the retail stores in the shopping center have remained and prospered over the years, citing the brisk patronage of businesses, such as , Starbucks and LA Fitness.

“It was always a solid community shopping center,” Casacio said.

While he couldn’t reveal the four businesses interested in the Pathmark location, Casacio did say that each of the businesses are supermarkets.

“Clearly, all the market studies have shown that a market is positive,” Casacio said. “It’s a community center, we have to give what the community needs.”

He said that it was important for the interested businesses to have vested interest in the community.

“There’s more to the community than putting up a building,” Casacio said. “It’s not going to be about a dollar-per-square foot. It’s going to be based on the relationship with the business – that they want to be a part of this community.”

He also emphasized that New Century Associates works with its tenants as partners, helping them to succeed in order to be a viable part of the community.

Casacio said that the lease on the new property will be completed sooner rather than later.

He added that the opening of the new supermarket will take on a festive air and portray a sense of grandeur, as was done for past businesses at the Marketplace at Huntingdon Valley.

“When the new market signs the lease, we’re going to do it right,” Casacio said.

New Century Associates owns and manages commercial, office retail and multi family properties. It has offices in Philadelphia as well as in the Marketplace at Huntingdon Valley.