By Mike Rego
EAST PROVIDENCE — Demolition work at the site of the old Benny’s Store on Pawtucket Avenue is complete, setting the stage for the construction of the latest Dollar General outlet to begin in the coming weeks and months.
The Carpionato Group, which purchased 14 former Benny’s locations in Rhode Island, 11 in Massachusetts and four in Connecticut in 2017, announced earlier this year it had agreed to lease the parcel to Dollar General, the Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based discount retailer.
“At this time, we are at the completion of a due diligence phase for a new store on Pawtucket Avenue in East Providence, which includes securing final permits. We currently anticipate breaking ground within the coming weeks, but do not have an exact time and date planned to do so,” said Angela Petkovic, a Media Relations representative for Dollar General.
The East Providence property was most recently assessed at a value of $439,200, $170,800 for the land and $248,100 for the main structure. The building, according to city records, was constructed in 1920. The effort locally is part of a planned over $100 million investment by Carpionato to redevelop all 29 Benny’s in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The Pawtucket Avenue project follows the remodeling of two other nearby former Benny’s locations by Carpionato: matching Ace Hardware and Dollar General stores on Taunton and Central Avenues in Seekonk.