Wegmans is scrapping a controversial plan to relocate a Transit Road store from Amherst to

Clarence and instead will expand at its current location.

Though Wegmans has said its current location lacked room for expansion and was limited by

its configuration and size, the company &#8220has been approached&#8221 by plaza owner

Benderson Development Co. with a workable plan to enlarge the 87,000-square-foot store at 8270

Transit, said spokeswoman Ann McCarthy.

&#8220We were provided with a new alternative we didn&#8217t have previously, and subject

to town approval, it puts us on a path toward accomplishing what we wanted to do, which was

improve customer experience,&#8221 McCarthy said.

Bella Vista Development has since withdrawn its plan for the proposed site, also on Transit

Road.

Details of how Wegmans will expand the 14-year-old store are largely undetermined.

&#8220Everything at this point is speculative, pending approval,&#8221 McCarthy said.

Benderson Development declined to go into detail on the logistics of the project but said

the company should be able to elaborate in coming weeks.

&#8220We are happy to be able to assist Wegmans in staying and expanding at their current

location and on their own property,&#8221 said Rex Burgher, executive vice president at

Benderson.

Wegmans said it &#8220definitely&#8221 will add employees to help operate the larger

location, but the number of new hires remained undetermined. While Wegmans hasn&#8217t

announced any kind of timetable, the expansion is expected to take about 18 months. The store

would remain open during construction.

&#8220The new plan is subject to Town of Amherst municipal review and approvals and, if

approved, would provide us with sufficient room to add the desired square footage to the

store, as well as ample parking,&#8221 McCarthy said.

The Rochester-based chain had been in talks with Bella Vista, which was developing the new

site at 8730 Transit Road with Wegmans in mind. Wegmans had waged a campaign to garner

customer support for the new site, which was opposed by many in the community.

In its defense, Wegmans sent a glossy, two-page mailer to local residents explaining the

benefits of a newer, larger store and provided postcards that could be mailed to the Clarence

Town Board as a show of support.

Residents who opposed relocating Wegmans to the Clarence site are considering the new plans

very welcome news.

&#8220Wegmans is known as a very socially responsible company. I think they veered off that

for a while, but this decision shows they understand the concerns of the Clarence

community,&#8221 said Rajiv Kishore, a Clarence resident who had spoken against the

relocation. &#8220Nobody was saying, &#8216Don&#8217t grow’ we were saying,

&#8216Don&#8217t grow indiscriminately.&#8217 &#8221