Abandoned Endicott Kmart Store to Be Renovated and Repurposed

The former Kmart building in the old Endicott Plaza that once was targeted for demolition is about to come back to life.

Village officials had developed plans to tear down the abandoned store which went out of business without advance notice when it was shut down by the flooding of September 2011.

Kmart initially announced plans to reopen the Endicott operation but that changed as the retailer found itself closing other stores as it struggled to survive.

The former Kmart store in the Endicott Plaza on April 28, 2021. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

The New Jersey-based owners of the once-vibrant Endicott Plaza tried to find a buyer for the 18-acre property for several years without success.

Now, Endicott Mayor Linda Jackson says Green Mountain Electric Supply is planning to acquire the site for a warehouse operation.

Jackson said the Vermont-based company is "getting its financing in order" with the sale expected to be finalized early next year.

Fencing next to the abandoned Endicott Kmart store on January 23, 2014. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

In 2018, the village of Endicott was awarded state funding to help cover the cost of demolishing the old Kmart building.

But officials determined the place remained structurally sound and the move to tear down the former store was halted.

Jackson is hoping some of the state money that had been allocated for the planned demolition now can be used for renovations to the building.

The mayor said a new roof is needed. She said the company is planned to plant grass and trees on part of the old plaza site. A walking path also is to be constructed for use by students of Jennie F. Snapp Middle School, which is just west of the property.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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Filed Under: Endicott, Endicott Plaza, Green Mountain Electric Supply, Kmart, redevelopment

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