Delaney’s Market owner Peter Rosskothen, his team and employees from LN Berneche contractor firm watch as West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt and Linda Rosskothen cut the ribbon at the new West Springfield Delaney’s Market.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The sun was shining on West Springfield as Mayor Will Reichelt and Linda Rosskothen cut a wide, red ribbon, officially opening the newest Delaney’s Market location at 334 Park St.
Delaney’s Market specializes in what owner Peter Rosskothen described as “fresh, ready-to-heat and eat meals.” He said the markets boast friendly staff and high-quality products.
Speaking to those gathered for the ribbon cutting, Rosskothen said people may wonder, “Why West Springfield?” Reichelt responded, “Why not West Springfield?”
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
Rosskothen opened the first Delaney’s Market in Longmeadow in 2016. The West Springfield location is now the fifth store Rosskothen has opened. “We believe in the city. Strategically, it’s a great location.” He said he is considering opening only one more in the Western Massachusetts area. “Our five stores, they cover the market really well,” he said.
Bringing the West Springfield Delaney’s Market to life involved several entities. UMass Five College Federal Credit Union is Rosskothen’s financial partner. He also sits on the financial institution’s board of directors. The team from LN Berneche is the contracting firm that built the market. Rosskothen has partnered with the company on several projects over the years, he said. He also said the town had been “efficient, helpful,” “dedicated” and “supportive” throughout the process.
Reichelt said Rosskothen had tried to open the market on the other side of Park Street. When that location did not pan out, Rosskothen set his sights on 334 Park St. Reichelt said that at the time, the property was a “blighted,” former Sunoco gas station that had been closed for the better part of a decade. Rosskothen said the building had to be gutted. “All we did was save the shell,” he said.
The new Delaney’s Market is not the only change happening on Park Street. Reichelt said the “big priority” for the corridor is to implement traffic calming efforts. “We did the further section down,” he said, gesturing toward the northeastern end of the street. On this end, he said a study was done to examine installing crosswalks and removing the concrete center median to make it easier to turn across Park Street. The town will seek out any available funding for the projects.
