Residents Call for Trader Joe's in Millwood

New Castle residents have started a Facebook group and an online petition drive to talk Trader Joe’s into moving into grocery store space in Millwood.

They are hoping that the Facebook page will encourage Trader Joe’s to take space currently occupied by the A&P in Millwood. A&P declared bankruptcy and the location is set to go to auction next month. They hope this show of public support will be ammunition for Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein to use to encourage Trader Joe’s to open a store in Millwood.

“I love community involvement & spirit,” Greenstein said in a written statement. “ Residents have made it very clear to me that they would like to see a Trader Joe’s in the Millwood Plaza. It looks like they are making it very clear on Facebook as well. I love the idea of social persuasion to recruit a quality store like Trader Joe’s. We certainly do not need more banks, drugstores and nail salons. I would love to meet with officials from Trader Joe’s, share data about traffic flow and how this shopping plaza draws from many neighboring towns.”

The strip mall is near the Taconic State Parkway and at the intersection of two busy state highways, Routes 100 and 133.

Greenstein thinks location would pull shoppers from Chappaqua. Millwood, Ossining, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, Pleasantville, Briarcliff Manor, Yorktown, Bedford, Armonk, Thornwood, Hawthorne, Valhalla, Somers, and Katonah.

The group’s mission statement from Facebook states “This group is advocating for a Trader Joe’s at the Millwood A&P which is located in Millwood Plaza. A&P is in bankruptcy. Acme Markets has pulled the Millwood A&P location from its list of purchases. This store is now slated to go to auction. We want a Trader Joe’s in Millwood!”

One poster replied, “As a member of the Ossining community, my family and I would love a TJ near by. The Hartsdale location, albeit delicious, is far, small and often over crowded. Please let the Northern Westchester community have their own TJ!”