After five years, ground is finally broken for Millwood Market
Millwood Task Force Chair Dianne Kleinmann, Assistant Administrator Penny Paderewski, Supervisor Barbara Gerrard, John DeMeo, John DeMeo, Jr., and town board member John Buckley; more photos in “Read more” and in “Photo Gallery”
July 23, 2010
by Christine Yeres
Last week orange cones strung with yellow tape blocked the entrance to the Shell station in Millwood on Route 100. “Our customers are going to miss us, but we’ll be back in five months,” said the property’s owner, John DeMeo, “and we’ll be beautiful!”
Yesterday, DeMeo finally broke ground for his long-planned 7,000 square-foot Millwood Market, 4,000 square feet of market downstairs with office space above. Construction is expected to take five months and DeMeo hopes to be open by December of this year. Already the gas pumps have been removed and sidelined and big equipment is moving in.
A “mom-and-pop” family business for Millwood
DeMeo bills the market as “a high-end retail store selling groceries, sandwiches, cigarettes and candy” at the back of the property that will sell Shell gasoline and diesel fuel in front from pumps covered with a generous roofed canopy. “It’ll be run like a mom-and-pop family business,” explained DeMeo, whose son, John DeMeo, Jr., 24, will work with him. “”It’s not easy to do, but we’ll continue to give people full service in the daytime at self-service prices.” At night, pumps will be self-service.
DeMeo purchased the gas station property near the entrance to the Taconic River Parkway in November of 2005. He expressed relief to have survived the five-year process – and expense – of consultations with engineers, architects, lawyers, environmental consultants as well as multiple appearances before New Castle’s planning board. “This project will be very positive for the town,” insisted DeMeo. “We’re cleaning up an eyesore and putting up a great place for the town.”
“The town board is very enthusiastic about this project,” commented Town Supervisor Barbara Gerrard, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning along with board member John Buckley and Deputy Town Administrator Penny Paderewski. “This place is an entryway to Millwood and we know that after it’s complete it will be a real asset to the community. John DeMeo is very community-minded, and we’ve been very impressed by his commitment to the project.”
DeMeo has been in the gas station and car repair business on Long Island for many years, but always with leased properties. “Now, finally, at 57,” said DeMeo, “I have my own place, and it’s going to be beautiful.” Financing came from Provident Bank and construction by Aventura Contractors is underway.
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Thank you Mr.DeMeo and family for bringing this great new asset to Millwood.
Dear Mr. DeMeo,
Good luck to you, your family, and your business family, and may you receive as much success from your venture that goes beyond what you can imagine. I can not wait until I buy my first .99 cent coffee out of a brand new $15,000,000.00 Million Dollar Project.
The Community is lucky that the approval process did not give Mr. DeMeo a heart attack! It should have never been so hard and expensive for Mr. DeMeo to get his approvals, most business owners can not survive what he went through. As a Community, we owe him and his wife a two week vacation in Italy paid for by the taxpayers!
Thank you Mr. Demeo!! It is too bad Mr. Rotta (who owns the Millwood Train Station property) does not have the same kind of pride in his endeavors.
I have looked forward to this day for months, and I can’t wait until it’s finished. Thank you Mr Demeo for your patience and your faith in Millwood. I’m sure that the new enterprise will be a success, and like “My Home Town Gas Station” I can’t wait until I stop by on my way to work to fill up my tank and grab a cup of coffee.
Good luck on your endeavors! Millwood is so lucky to have somebody so community minded to detract from Leo Rotta’s idea of Millwood. At least you want to clean up an eyesore!
Good luck with your project Mr. Demeo! I can’t wait to fill up at your new facility. It’s been a long time coming and will be such an asset for Millwood. We’re lucky to have someone who wants to improve our community!
Mr. DeMeo, the buzz around Town is that you are a HERO! While we are all in love with you, can you openly express how Town Hall may be able to attract more people just like you to our Town. Do you have any friends that can knock on Mr. Rotta’s door? I officially declare you the new Mayor of Millwood; tell Mr. Rotta to SOUND THE ALARM in celebration of your new project!
not many businesses in new castle would ever be able to endure the financial hardship of this approval process. kudos to you for your perseverance & the town should be embarrassed that it took 5 years . . . perhaps this is why new castle does not have any thriving businesses? if it was a town owned facility, they would have had the approval in 6 months!
After what we have seen and heard at Town Hall concerning the treatment you have had to endure, on top of what many others who live in the area have had to say in support and verification of your struggle to achieve your goal (THANK GOD!), you Mr. DeMeo must be livid at what you have had to endure to get your building permit. Please do our Community a favor, PLEASE!!!!!, after you have received your certificate of occupancy, and all other final approvals, please, please, please, produce a community service announcement on NCCTV Channel 77 and tell us how you feel you were treated by Town Hall and by whom. Please also suggest to the Community how we can change the process at Town Hall to attract more individuals just like you. Based on what you went through, it does not surprise us that Mr. Rotta does not want to develop his Rail Road Station! Would you?
