MILLERTON — After more than a year of renovations, construction delays and growing speculation about its future, the long-awaited supermarket planned for the Millerton Square Plaza is now expected to open by Thanksgiving, according to owners Chris and Kim Choe.
The Choes, who purchased Millerton Square Plaza on Route 44 in December 2024, said the project is entering its final stages after a series of construction delays. With some renovations complete, they now expect the supermarket to open before the holiday season.
The couple, who bought the store from Joseph Trotta, plan to stock locally-sourced produce, meat, and seafood from Boston and New York City. Originally planned to open by June 2025, the Choes pushed back their estimated opening last summer to October 2025 and eventually said the timeline was unclear last fall.
The recent announcement comes amid mounting questions about the fate of both the Millerton supermarket and the Sharon Farm Market in Sharon, Connecticut, which the Choes also own and operate.
Their Millerton plans received approval from planning and building officials in the Town of North East in June 2025. Chris Choe said interior renovations at the store are nearing completion.
A new business partner is joining the project, although Choe declined to identify the individual citing ongoing negotiations.
Completed renovations include a new roof and HVAC upgrades. Remaining work includes new flooring, a replacement ceiling, parking lot reconfiguration and storefront upgrades, Choe said.
Choe attributed much of the delay to the demands of another grocery venture in New Haven, Connecticut, which he said the family plans to sell in the coming weeks.
“Driving, I lose three hours every day,” Choe said, adding that selling the business will allow him to focus on completing the Millerton supermarket and planned upgrades at Sharon Farm Market.
Construction debris and old freezers still litter the site of the Millerton supermarket.Photo by Nathan Miller
Rumors also called into question the fate of the Sharon Farm Market.
Jam Food Shop, a business that serves prepared foods and sandwiches that operates a space within the Sharon Farm Market, will be leaving the market at the end of September.
That move — coupled with sparse inventory on shelves — has fueled speculation about Sharon Farm Market’s future.
“We’re going to fix the store,” Choe said, describing plans to renovate the Sharon Farm Market’s interior and introduce a coffee shop and juice bar. He insisted the grocery store will not be closing, and renovations will begin after Jam’s departure at the end of September.
Choe said Jam Food Shop’s departure presents an opportunity to reconfigure the market’s prepared-food operation.
A new focus going forward will be cutting prices on prepared foods, improving and expanding available organic produce and making a foray into delivery with services such as Instacart and DoorDash.
News that the Millerton supermarket may finally open this year was met with cautious optimism by residents Sunday, May 31.
A.J. Day, a Millerton resident who said he moved to the village in 2008 with his parents, said his family has been anxiously awaiting a new supermarket in town.
Day said the family travels to Danbury to shop for groceries at Trader Joe’s for most of their needs, but often makes quick trips to LaBonne’s Market in Salisbury, Connecticut, or the Sharon Farm Market for immediate needs.
“My parents [and I] both want to see a place there,” Day said. “My parents were a little uneasy not having a place there for a while.”
Shannon Tyree-Brown and her daughters, Cassidy and Addison Brown, said they were encouraged by the latest timeline while acknowledging frustration over the prolonged vacancy.
“It’s kind of been depressing just sitting vacant for so long,” Tyree-Brown said. “Unfortunately, the other options didn’t stick.”
Despite the dismay, Tyree-Brown and her daughters are supportive of the effort and hopeful it will serve the community soon.
Nearby business owners are also eager to see the supermarket open.
The owners of Pasture Kitchen, a restaurant that occupies the former McDonald’s building on Route 44 adjacent to the supermarket plaza, are also looking forward to the Millerton market’s eventual opening.
Austin Cornell, who founded Pasture Kitchen, expects his restaurant to see a boost once the supermarket opens. He described the supermarket as a potential bridge between the Village of Millerton and businesses farther down Route 44 beyond the village boundary.
“I feel like we’re removed from the village,” Cornell said.
While locals are largely supportive of the venture, some residents are skeptical that the Millerton store will open in the fall of 2026.
“Chris has said that for years now,” said longtime Sharon resident Mike Rand. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
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The Webutuck High School Class of 2026 received diplomas at the 72nd annual Commencement ceremony, held on Saturday, June 20.
“You’ve made it,” said Webutuck Superintendent Raymond Castellani during welcoming remarks to the graduates.
After 11 years of serving the Webutuck School District, Castellani began by announcing that he would be ending that service.
“I’ve witnessed extraordinary moments,” Castellani said. “Serving this district has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”
Castellani spoke of the future to be faced by graduates.
“Change will happen faster than ever before. Technologies will evolve,” Castellani told the seniors. “Kindness matters, integrity matters, character matters,” he said, citing those qualities as ones that will carry the graduates through their future lives.
“Success is measured by the difference you make in the lives of others,” Castellani said, urging graduates to view any failures as lessons.
High School Principal Matthew Pascale began his remarks in praise of Castellani’s leadership.
“You taught me how to lead,” Pascale said. “Working in education is a vocation, not a job.”
“You are standing at the starting line of what comes next,” Pascale told the graduating class. “Go out and make a difference,” he added, reminding the class that their success will be defined by how they treat others. Kindness and humility are key.
Pascale urged each graduate to save 10% of income. “Put it away,” he said. “Pay yourself first. It isn’t about greed, it’s about security.”
Elementary School Principal Amanda Coppola presented the commencement address, recalling that she began her Webutuck teaching career as a fifth grade science teacher.
“While I was teaching you, you were teaching me,” she told graduates.
“Life keeps evolving,” Coppola said. “Keep going. Keep growing.”
Class Salutatorian Zaina AbouEid presented the traditional speech to the graduates.Photo By Leila Hawken
Salutatorian Zaina AbouEid brought appreciative laughs from her audience as she recalled jokes often voiced by Principal Pascale, jokes that were familiar to the class.
Thanking the various constituencies within the school and her family, AbouEid went on to exhort classmates to overcome fears.
“Fear is never strong enough to hold us back,” she said.
Class Valedictorian Giana Kall delivered the traditional valedictory address to her fellow graduates.Photo By Leila Hawken
“Anything is possible,” said Valedictorian Giana Marie Kall, who said that her study of psychology has taught her that people really need to believe in themselves.
“Follow your heart. It’s OK not to be perfect,” Kall told graduates. “You are only in competition with yourself.”
Kall went on to express thanks to the school’s various constituents and her family.
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