Binghamton Residents Want to Know What Will Happen with Weis Site

People who live in the southeast corner of Binghamton are learning how to cope without a neighborhood supermarket for the first time in 60 years.

The shelves of the Weis Markets grocery store on Conklin Avenue were bare by the time the store went out of business on Saturday afternoon.

The site - which has been owned by the Akel family for several decades - now is idle. A man working on a lift removed the Weis signs from the building's exterior Sunday and Monday.

The fate of the property is unknown. Phil Akel told WNBF News he had no comment about the future of what once was a Giant supermarket operated by his family.

Weis Markets representatives have not explained why they decided to close the Conklin Avenue location, which the company operated for nearly 15 years. The place opened as a Giant supermarket in 1964.

Mayor Jared Kraham said he's "been in contact with basically everybody - from property ownership to folks who have contact with other grocery retailers" to deal with the loss of the supermarket.

The mayor said the city's goal is for the Weis store to be replaced by a "high-quality" full-service grocery operation.

Kraham said one of the challenges is that retailers are trying to locate their stores in higher-traffic areas. He noted the recent move by Aldi from Westover to a higher-visibility site on Harry L. Drive in Johnson City.

With that in mind, the mayor said the likelihood of attracting a Price Chopper or Aldi-type store for the vacant Conklin Avenue property would appear to be "pretty slim."

Kraham said if the site isn't going to be used for a grocery store in the future, "what can it do to better serve that neighborhood on the South Side?"

The mayor said there might be "some positive commercial activity" or job-creating options.

When it confirmed the closing of the Conklin Avenue store, Weis issued a statement indicating its 52 full- and part-time employees were offered jobs at other locations. The company did not say how many workers chose to remain with Weis.

VIDEO: The reality sinks in as the Weis signs come down. This was the scene at 307 Conklin Avenue on March 4, 2024.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.