Crunch Fitness planned for former Stop & Shop as Coram Plaza renovation moves forward

The long-vacant former Stop & Shop at Coram Plaza is in the works to become a Crunch Fitness as part of a broader effort to breathe new life into the aging shopping center.

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico announced Thursday that the plaza’s new owner is preparing to submit redevelopment plans to the town that include splitting the former 66,000-square-foot Stop & Shop into two spaces and giving the entire shopping center a new, frseh looking facade.

Crunch Fitness has committed to one half of the former grocery store, while the remaining half is proposed as a children’s activity center, he said, while noting that tenant has not yet been finalized.

Crunch now operates five locations across Suffolk County — in Hauppauge, Lake Grove, Amityville, Melville and West Babylon.

The new plans were discussed during a recent board meeting at Brookhaven Town Hall with the property’s new owner, architects, members of the Coram Civic Association and the town’s planning department.

A visit to the shopping center Thursday illustrates both the challenges and opportunities facing the property.

The former Stop & Shop remains vacant, surrounded by six additional empty storefronts throughout the plaza.

Among the occupied businesses are Home Depot, Family Dollar, Bella Roma Restaurant & Pizza, Noor Cuisine, Metro by T-Mobile, Aqua Hut, Path Liquor, Rainbow Shops and Firestone Complete Auto Care.

Operating businesses along Middle Country Road — separate from hub of stores that includes the old Stop & Shop storefront — include Taco Bell, Dunkin’, Subway and Pay-O-Matic.

Panico said the property’s longtime tenants will remain in place while the owner actively markets the vacant storefronts, including the possibility of attracting a smaller grocery store to the center.

The supervisor said the proposed improvements are part of broader investment occurring across Coram.

“There is a renewed sense of optimism in Coram,” Panico said.

He pointed to the upcoming demolition of the former Sterling Bank (located directly across Middle Country Road from Coram Plaza), the rehabilitation of the once-troubled commercial property at the intersection of Route 112 and Mill Road, and additional private investment expected to follow recent development in the area.

_{Top: Brian Harmon photos}