Some big changes are coming to a retail plaza on West Genesee Street in the Fairmount section of Camillus. Developers plan to overhaul an area currently home to Joy Carpet, Idol Nails and a strip center. New tenants lined up for the project include Aspen Dental, the area’s second Panda Express location and one of Upstate New York’s first Qdoba Mexican Grill locations. The Joy Carpet and nail salon buildings and a portion of the strip plaza would be torn down, according to minutes. The project would result in three new buildings on the site, which is just across from the Fairmount Target. There’s space for tenants beyond the three announced so far. Panda Express is a rapidly growing fast-casual Chinese chain. The company recently opened its first stand-alone location in New York in Cicero. Qdoba has long been on the radar of area Tex-Mex enthusiasts. The fast-casual chain’s menu includes burritos, tacos, Mexican gumbo, quesadillas and more. It’s similar to Chipotle, which has three locations in the Syracuse area already. The Camillus Qdoba would be one of the chain’s first locations in the state outside the New York City area. No word from developers on when work on the Camillus project will start. Several of the businesses currently in the area have either moved already or have plans to:
• Joy Carpet will eventually close its store at the site, but is looking for another Fairmount location, said Joe Commisso, who co-owns the business with his wife Patty. Joy opened a second store at the Glenn Crossing plaza in Liverpool in January.
• James Hallinan, an optician with a practice in the strip center, is transferring his business to Druger Eye Care. Bryant Optical is taking Hallinan’s contact lens patients.
• Hallinan’s Wine & Liquors, a liquor store in the strip plaza run by another member of Hallinan’s family, has already moved. It’s now located at a nearby plaza behind the Five Star Urgent Care location in Camillus.
• CoolWaters Pool and Spa closed its location at the strip plaza. The business has additional locations in Solvay and Liverpool and is planning a new store in Fairmount as well.
• Dart Computer moved from the center to a nearby location next to Citizens Bank.
• Idol Nails is moving to a new location in Camillus at 4100 W. Genesee St.