New shopping plaza coming to Bellefonte

A once dormant piece of land in Bellefonte is taking shape as a new shopping plaza.

Construction on Willowbank Plaza will be finished in the fall, according to HFL Vice President of Operations Heddy Kervandjian, who said the goal for completion is Oct. 1. The plaza will be fitted for five retail spaces of 1,400-square feet, though the developers could accommodate a retailer who wants two spaces.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity for the five retail shops that will be there,” Kervandjian said. “We’re making it look really good, and we’ve had a lot of interest from people who want to have a business there.”

One deal, Kervandjian said, is complete, though she could not disclose what business will occupy a space.

“We’ll try to pick what we feel is a really good fit in Bellefonte,” Kervandjian said. “I think everyone is excited, because that was not a really attractive piece of land in a highly visible corner of Bellefonte with a lot of traffic. I think Bellefonte is becoming an even more exciting place to live and this adds to it.”

HFL Corporation Chairman of the Board Henry Sahakian was inspired to build the shopping plaza.

“My dad has always had an affinity for Bellefonte and wanted to do a really nice looking project,” Kervandjian said. “We’re paying attention to detail to the building and we hope people will enjoy it for many years.”

This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 7:25 PM with the headline "New shopping plaza coming to Bellefonte."