A condemned, dilapidated building off Water street in Vineyard Haven will be the next project for the Island Housing Trust thanks to Steve Bernier, the owner of Cronig’s Market, who announced Friday he had donated the house to the trust.
The move is both an act of community philanthropy and a strategic business maneuver for Mr. Bernier, the longtime owner of the Cronig’s grocery franchise in Vineyard Haven and West Tisbury. This spring the Stop and Shop supermarket corporation paid $950,000 for an adjacent building that housed the Golden Dragon restaurant as part of an expansion plan for the Water street store that sits at the gateway to downtown Vineyard Haven.
Following the purchase by Stop and Shop, Mr. Bernier paid $700,000 for the house at 6 Water street between the Golden Dragon and AA Island Auto Rental.
“I just spent a bunch of money on [down-Island Cronig’s] to have a store for the next 30 to 40 years for the Island, and there are only so many apples in a bushel basket,” he told the Gazette in a tour of the site on Friday afternoon. “I have no use for the property, so if I’m going to spend this money the best use I could think for it is to donate it to the Island Housing trust. They’re still pinching themselves.”
Housing trust executive director Philippe Jordi and board member Richard Leonard were also at the site.
Mr. Jordi said the building will be torn down.
“The building is condemned,” he said. “It’s completely caved in and has to come down.
“We don’t know what will be there just yet, but there will be a residential component to it and there might be some first-floor office space.”
He and Mr. Leonard praised and thanked Mr. Bernier for the donation.
“It’s one of the single largest donations to affordable housing on the Island,” Mr. Jordi said. “It’s obviously really exciting because of its location. We’re incredibly grateful to Steve.”
Jane Wilbur of Vineyard Haven was passing by as the three men posed for pictures on the front steps of the crumbling house.
“Are they buying this?” she asked. “Yay! That’s great.”
This article appears in May 18, 2012.
would of been better for the stop shop to have it and make a bigger store. Steve gets no credit for this. i hope this does not cause a problem for the much needed larger stop and shop. Who can afford the high prices at cronigs.
agree with the above comment. This was done to help him. Not to help anyone else. Continue to support Other small places, stop and shop etc. Still no feedback on his hiring policies. Another issue from Cronigs sweep under the rug.
I am responding to both Bob and Karen who have posted before me.
If Stop & Shop wanted to expand their store in VH I am sure they would have already considered purchasing the property in question. Although I find many of the items at Cronig’s to be expensive compared to prices off-Island I understand that Bernier can’t compete with those stores, just like the gas stations here are all much higher than mainland stores. I find that by shopping more carefully I can avoid many agregiously overpriced products.
Many of the small, independently-owned markets on the Island have high quality products at fair prices. You just have to educate yourself a bit as to where to go.
Karen, if you believe that Stop & Shop is a small indepentdently-owned enterprise you are sorely mistaken! You may not like Cronig’s but at least it buys local produce and products and is not a huge, multinational corporation.
Educate yourselves a bit.
Regardless of whether or not Steve was purchasing the building to restrict further expansion of the Stop and Shop, this is an incredible gift to deserving families who will no longer have to face the seasonal shuffle to inferior housing every year. God Bless you Steve (-:
How many “deserving families” do we suppose can be shoehorned into anything built on that lot? Yeah, I suppose it would be cool to have Five Corners for your front yard, but on the whole this smells like a tax break. Shop at Reliable!
This was a move to stop growth of others. Cronigs is worried since Elio was granted expansion. He should be.People are on to Cronigs and his games.I wonder how anyone could even suggest anyone live on that lot.Cronigs may buy local produce but he marks it up so locals can;t afford it.Try lowering prices and volume will increase. Make profit that way.Shameful game.
Where does everyone get this “condemned” thing about the house. I called the town and they said they had issued no such condemnation order. Bogus. Typical of people who want to demolish, and don’t want anything to get in their way?