Plans in the Works to Transform Former Wappingers Rite Aid

A former Hudson Valley Rite Aid may soon reopen as a supermarket.

After filing for bankruptcy and closing hundreds of locations nationwide in 2023, Rite Aid's footprint across New York continued to shrink until all of its stores eventually shut down in the fall of 2025. Many former Hudson Valley locations remain empty, leaving behind large vacant buildings in some of the region's busiest areas.

One of those vacant buildings could soon get a second life.

Former Wappingers Rite Aid Eyed for Grocery Store

Plans recently submitted to the Town of Wappinger Planning Board show a proposal to transform the former Rite Aid at 1604 Route 9 into a new supermarket called Wappinger Fresh Market.

According to conceptual plans filed with the town, the proposal would convert the former pharmacy into a full grocery market. The site would undergo exterior improvements, including updated storefront features, new signage and modifications that would enclose the pharmacy drive-thru, expanding the footprint of the current building.

The former Rite Aid sits at the busy intersection of Route 9 and New Hackensack Road and was constructed in 1999 as a standalone drug store. The property includes more than 11,000 square feet of retail space, a drive-thru lane and a large parking lot.

Review Still Needed

At this point, the proposal is before the Town of Wappinger for conceptual review. Additional approvals would likely be required before any construction could begin. The project will be discussed at the Planning Board's next meeting scheduled for June 15. It's unclear just how long the extensive remodel will take if it's approved.