Cooperstown, New York Family Dollar Closing After 35 Years

After a 35 year run, the Family Dollar in the Cooperstown Commons shopping plaza is set to close this month. Though no official reasoning has been put forth through official channels, multiple members of the community reached out urging me to look into the story for a variety of reasons.

Normally, I find people bemoaning the arrival of such stores, especially when they're in close proximity to each other. This seemed to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. I posted a query in a Facebook group local to the store, and messaged with some residents about the topic.

Cooperstown residents comment on the closure

On the closure, one person said via DM: "I do not know much about why the store is closing, but it is sad to see them go. I frequent there at least once or twice a week, and the store always appears quite busy...it is an affordable place to pick up many different items - from food to gifts to household supplies, etc."

As to why the store is closing, I reached out to Dollar Tree Inc, the parent company of Family Dollar. As of publications, queries to their corporate communications department and their leasing office have not been returned. I also called the store directly, and spoke with a person who identified themselves as the store manager. When asked about the store closing, the manager told me he did not have a comment or time to talk.

Property is currently available for lease

Currently, the property is listed for leasing with Pavia Real Estate Services. "Former Family Dollar space located within The Commons Shopping Center to be available 1/1/2024. Co-tenancy with Grand Union, Bassett Healthcare, NBT Bank, J&J Liquor, Short Cuts and Jive Café. Located less than 1 mile from the Cooperstown Dreams Park, a destination that sees more than 500,000 visitors annually."

Public records show that the plaza is owned by Michael Cancilla of New York Mills, NY. Cancilla was contacted for comment on why the store is closing, but has not returned my correspondence.

Of course, as these things go, speculation amongst residents is thick. Some locals think it's due to a lack of business during the cold months, while others point to issues with the building and landlord. Representatives from Family Dollar have not given a reason as to why it's closing. If they respond, this story will be updated.