Two More Businesses Lease Space in Former Bellefonte Rite Aid Building

A sandwich shop chain and a phone carrier store are the latest businesses to join the redevelopment of the former Rite Aid building in Bellefonte.

Jersey Mike’s and Verizon have signed leases for space inside the 821 E. Bishop St. building, Kandy Weader of Bennett Williams, the commercial real estate agent for the property, wrote in a social media post on Wednesday morning.

They will join Dunkin’, which previously signed a lease for the 1,848-square-foot space at the western corner of the building, where it will also have a pickup window, according to a layout of the planned multi-tenant redevelopment of the property presented to Bellefonte Borough Council in January.

“This strong tenant mix continues to showcase the growth and momentum happening in the Bellefonte and State College market,” Weader wrote.

Verizon will occupy a 1,713-square-foot space and Jersey Mike’s a 1,694-square-foot storefront in between the phone store and coffee shop, with each of the businesses aligned across the front of the building, according to the presentation in January, which at the time showed spaces for an unidentified phone carrier store and sandwich shop.

Jersey Mike’s addition to the property comes as no surprise. Cedar Cliff Properties, which purchased the 14,673-square-foot-building in October for $1.5 million, is an LLC used by in the development of Jersey Mike’s Subs locations in the State College area and elsewhere by franchisee Matt Patterson, who confirmed his involvement in the acquisition to StateCollege.com in November.

Two spaces remain available for lease in the building, Weader wrote. The plans presented to the borough council showed 1,920-square-foot space for another food and beverage establishment, while 5,800 square feet at the back half of the store was designated for a fitness center.

Dunkin’ is expected to open in the late summer, Weader told StateCollege.com in April. Anticipated openings for Jersey Mike’s and Verizon were not provided.

Renovation work is ongoing at the building, which had been vacant since Rite Aid closed in late 2023.