Hannaford celebrates grand opening

On the eve of its grand opening this morning, Hannaford Supermarkets, the centerpiece of the refurbished Meredith Shopping Center, celebrated by hosting a reception for invited guests and donating more than $10,000 to local organizations.

At 35,000-square feet, the supermarket may be smaller than the 56,000 to 65,000-square foot stores the company usually builds. But, of the 30 stores Hannaford operates in New Hampshire, none is more welcome, especially because its development was accompanied by a facelift of the entire plaza, which includes a Rite-Aid Pharmacy, Spinelli Cinemas and a 10,040-square foot building housing the Village Greenery, Lakes Region Nutrition Center, and The Cleaners.

After languishing for several years after the closure of October Farms Market, the property was acquired by Crosspoint Associates, Inc. of Natick, Massachusetts in 2006 for $3,150,000 in 2006. Crosspoint developed the site in partnership with Christopher P. Williams Architects, a local firm that has left its mark throughout downtown. "this is part of the enhancement of the whole plaza," said architect Peter Bolton. "We dressed it up."

Store manager Jean-Marie Beauchemin, who has worked for Hannaford for 12 years — the last two as manager of the Franklin store — said that employes worked around the clock, seven days a week for the past two weeks dressing and stocking the store for its debut. She said that the store will employ 104 people from the community. "We are very pleased to be bringing all these jobs to the town," she remarked.

"It's a great thing," exclaimed Peter Brothers, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. "The shopping center needed the attention and they've done a wonderful job."

Herb Vadney, who chairs the Planning Board, agreed, noting that the redevelopment and improvement of the plaza not only enhanced downtown, but also represented significant addition to the local economy.

To mark the opening, Beauchemin presented checks to a half dozen local groups while announcing that Hannaford will sponsor a performance of "Foodplay," a live Emmy Award-winning variety show on the themes of health and fitness, at the Inter-Lakes Elementary School on Tuesday, November 25. beginning at 9 a.m.

The Meredith and Center Harbor food pantries each received a $1,000 worth of gift cards. Paul Rowley said that "Hannaford has been terrific and we can use it. We've darn near tripled what we're doing," he continued. "It seems like it's going out faster than its coming in."

The $1,500 donation to the Inter-lakes Middle Tier School will support a four-day field trip to Nature's Classroom in Yarmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod for seventh graders studying ecology while Inter-lakes High School will purchase a tablet PC for the Mathematics Department.

With a $2,000 contribution, the Meredith Fire Department will acquire video equipment for planning, training and investigations.

The Greater Meredith Program received $1,200 for its Career Partnership Program, which will used to purchase career guidance software, and another $1,500 that it will apply to the Community Garden Project underway to complete the landscaping of the Community Center with plantings of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers.