In a month or two, the new owner of 51 Main Street in Pine Push, the big brick building that’s been vacant for decades, is expected to unveil plans for a B&B, just one of several makeovers creating a buzz in and around the hamlet.

The hardware store in Valley Supreme Plaza is expanding, vacant space on Depot Street is being readied for a gym, a former medical building on Boniface Drive could be reborn as a cafe, and the remodeled Dunkin’ in the plaza will hold it grand reopening on April 5.

Broker Sy Mujovic, owner of iRealty on Route 302, said engineers and architects are working on plans to revive 51 Main, an imposing 5,200-square-foot former doctor’s office that has defied rehabilitation efforts although it sits between large well-kept homes long ago converted to offices. Mujovic, who handled the sale of the building for $290,000, said he is not at liberty to reveal the name of the developer. He does expect the project, which could include some office space at the rear of the property, to come before the planning board in a month or two.

Previous attempts to turn building into a bed and breakfast or an assisted living center for seniors never got off the ground. The town once explored locating its UFO museum at 51 Main, but backed off when the estimated cost of rehabbing the building became unmanageable. The town has made tourism a priority, but beds for visitors are hard to come by in Pine Bush. TripAdvisor ranks the Harvest Inn on Boniface Drive as No. 1 among one hotel in the hamlet. To be fair, it does get four and a half stars.

Mujovic has also listed a four-bedroom farmhouse built in 1850 on Brimstone Hill Road. The property known as Pine Bush Iris Farm has multiple outbuildings, including an eight-stall, insulated and heated horse barn, and a kennel. But the biggest attraction might be its 100 acres. There aren’t many properties that expansive around, he said. Inventory in general is limited and that is driving prices upward, Mujovic said. The farm, listed at $1.9 million, sold just two years ago for $1.69 million.

Also for sale is the Hometown Ice Cream and Grill on the corner of Main Street and Seybolt Lane, which has opened for the season and hosted the Easter Bunny earlier this week. In January, the owners posted that family and work commitments made it difficult to continue running the business that they bought in June 2022 and to participate in community events. One of the owners, who identified herself only as Kellee, said the ice cream bar will stay open while the search for new owners continues.

Plaza Sweet

The Dunkin’ in Valley Supreme Plaza has also reopened after extensive renovations inside to streamline service and outside to shed Donuts from its name, a decision Dunkin’ Brands made in 2018.

The store, up and running since a soft opening earlier this month, will celebrate with a grand reopening on April 5, manager Crystal Bound said. The first 100 customers that day will get free coffee for a year. According to corporate leaders, a new emphasis on drinks was one reason Donuts was dropped from the chain’s name. Bound said the Pine Bush makeover includes a station for iced drinks on tap.

At the other end of the plaza, Beck’s Hardware is taking over space right next door vacated by Just-a-Buck. Owner Michael Beck said the expansion will add 3,200-square-feet to the store’s sales area, bringing the total to 13,200 square feet.

At first the extra space will be used as a liquidation center where “red tag” items will be offered for sale. In three or four months, in conjunction with an overhaul of the entire store, the space will become a seasonal showcase, Beck said. At that time, such core areas as paint, housewares, plumbing and electric will all expand, he said. Beck’s Home & Garden, located at the site of the old Agway on Depot Street, will remain as is.

The town still is shooting for construction to begin this year on a sidewalk extension along Route 52 (Main Street) that will include the entire length of the plaza property. The sidewalk will allow pedestrians to safety walk from downtown all the way to the McDonald’s at the intersection of Main and Boniface Drive. A crosswalk with signals will connect with the sidewalk on Boniface.

Owners of the former home of Middletown Medical at 59 Boniface Drive are planning to divide the space, with one half to become a Noble Coffee Roasters cafe and the other half offices.

Larry Marshall, the project engineer, told the planning board that the plan involves creating a patio by replacing some pavement in front of the building with paving stones and building a decorative wall. Noble is a coffee distribution company that roasts beans harvested around the world. The company recently opened its first cafe at its headquarters in Campbell Hall.

The planning board has scheduled a public hearing on the project for April 10.

Yes and No

Yes, work has begun clearing out space at 55 Depot for the new home for Brendan Murphy’s Pine Bush Sweat Lab, billed as a stress-free fitness facility for all levels and abilities.

Murphy previously told planning board members he wanted to relocate his gym where he runs exercise classes to a more centralized location. He’s now well west of the hamlet on Route 52 in Shawangunk. His new spot might even have some leftover muscle memory – it used to be a gym.

No, the second vacant space at 55 Depot, the former home of the 3 Mamas and Mike deli, is not as yet reopening as a pizza joint. Despite rumors, nobody has asked for a permit to open restaurant there, said Michael Grass, the town building inspector. Likewise, he said there is nothing concrete to report about the space at 62 Main Street, once home to Jace & Bailey’s Italian Kitchen. The stately, columned building originally constructed for a bank also once served as town hall.