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Chick-fil-A has decided not to proceed with plans to open a new restaurant at a retail plaza on Hoosick Road in Brunswick. The fast-food chain's decision marks a shift in its expansion strategy in the Albany region. Instead, a QuickChek convenience store with six gasoline pumps is proposed for the site, as discussed during a Brunswick Planning Board meeting on November 21.
Tim Freitag, a project manager at Bohler Engineering, explained that the Chick-fil-A was initially planned for the western portion of the site. However, the new plan involves a 7,000-square-foot retail building with gas dispensers. The drive-thru restaurant and retail store on the eastern portion of the site remain unchanged, and traffic circulation through the site will stay the same, according to CBS6 Albany.
The decision comes after Chick-fil-A opened its third freestanding location in the area on Central Avenue in Albany. Concerns about traffic congestion on Hoosick Road were a significant factor in the decision to withdraw from the Brunswick site. Residents have expressed worries about the potential increase in traffic and its impact on the community, as noted by WAMC.
The Brunswick Planning Board will now review an amended site plan that includes the QuickChek store. Improvements to the McChesney Avenue/Hoosick Road intersection, anticipated to accommodate Chick-fil-A, are still likely to be implemented, although an updated traffic study is needed, according to Albany Business Review.