WILSON, N.Y. (WKBW) — It’s been almost a year since a fire heavily damaged the Wilson Lakeside Market, closing its doors and causing more than $1 million in damage, but now new ownership aims to reopen soon.
Just before 7 p.m. on January 28, the second floor of the market's back side, where an office and break room were located, caught fire, devastating the building. Nobody was inside.
WATCH: Niagara County Sheriff's Office investigating fire at Wilson Lakeside Market
The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office has since closed its investigation, saying the cause was “undetermined due to the extensive structural damage” and estimated that the fire caused more than $1 million in damage.
Now, Joseph Faris has stepped in to buy the abandoned Niagara County grocery store with plans to rebuild from its own ashes.
WATCH: New owner plans to reopen Wilson Lakeside Market after January fire
“I always wanted to buy it. I wanted to buy it before the fire,” Faris said. “Well, the damage is mostly in the back, so I don’t really have to worry about that so much at the moment. I can work with the town and building inspector to work on that part as I’m open here, [in the front of the store].”
The interior of the grocery store, where customers shop, was untouched by the fire. However, Faris said vandals have since broken into the building and destroyed products all over the store.
Faris: “I want people to see that it was damaged by kids, but it’s not so bad from the fire."
Q: : "What about this project captures you?"
Faris: “Just to be able to give this town a supermarket and still keep it ‘small town.’”
Without the Lakeside Market, the nearest major supermarket to Wilson is a Tops Markets seven miles away in Newfane.
Faris plans to change the name of the store to J&K’s Lakeside Market, after himself and his fiancée, Kathy, but he also plans to upgrade the store, from self-checkout stations to new products.
“I’m just going to add some things to make it a little bit better, like a pharmacy. I want a florist in here. I want the bakery shop to be a little bit better,” Faris said. “I’m shooting [to reopen] for the anniversary of the fire, so around the end of January.”
Faris has already gotten to work, cleaning up the interior of the store, but in order to meet that quick turnaround for a January opening, he needs some help.
“If anybody wants to volunteer their efforts to just help me clean the place up and get rid of the expired items and everything that needs to be thrown out, that would be great,” Faris said.
If you would like to volunteer, you can reach Faris at Jfar81@protonmail.com.
