Blockbuster to Take Over The Music Shop Space

by Amy Kolb Noyes

Blockbuster will be the newest tenant at Morrisville Plaza. The video
store chain has contracted with plaza owner Murphy Realty, of St.
Johnsbury, to lease the space that formerly housed The Music Shop and
Dana's jewelry store.
Although he could not say when the new store would open, Peter Murphy,
of Murphy Realty, said the Blockbuster folks would be starting work
anytime now.
"We've signed them up," he told the News & Citizen on Monday, October 11.
Although he could not provide details, Murphy said they were renting
more space than required for a typical Blockbuster store, so the
Morrisville Plaza shop would carry some extra inventory.
The Music Shop plans to reopen its Morristown store at some point. The
store is looking for a smaller retail space to occupy.
As for the empty Ames space, Murphy said one possible tenant is looking
at leasing a "substantial portion" of the old Ames store. However he
added, "But it's never over till it's over, with that."
Murphy Realty has had a few opportunities to rent the old Ames space,
either as one large store or carved up into several smaller spaces, but
Murphy said they have been holding out for the right tenant.
"We're trying to be patient," said Murphy. "We could have put a couple
things in there, but it wouldn't have been good for the town or good for
us."
This summer, Murphy Realty had held discussions with Big Lots, but
Morristown community coordinator Heidi Krantz had, at the time,
expressed it was not the type of retailer needed in this area.
In other Morrisville Plaza news, Murphy said he has ordered manholes for
the sewer line expansion, which he said would occur this fall. Murphy
Realty plans to construct, next spring, a stand alone building to house
Kinney Drugs across the plaza parking lot from the current Kinney store,
next to McDonald's. The sewer line will be expanded to serve McDonald's
and, Murphy hopes, the new Kinney building. While he is still awaiting
final approval to hook the proposed Kinney project to the village sewer
line, Murphy said he is almost certain it will be approved.
Morrisville Plaza is outside Morrisville Village limits. The village and
Morristown are working on a cooperative agreement for sewer allocation
in the north end shopping district. The line currently runs up to Price
Chopper, but not yet across Munson Ave., to the Morrisville Plaza.