From Food to Blood: New Business Coming to Former JC Grocery

Big changes are coming to an old grocery store in the heart of the village of Johnson City.

A Texas-based plasma collection company is planning to open a facility at the site of the former Save-A-Lot store at 200 Main Street.

The food store was forced to shut down about six months ago after a deal was reached to sell the building. The Save-A-Lot unit had operated at the site for more than a decade.

Records show the property and two adjacent parcels were sold for $950,000 in January. Construction crews have started renovation work inside and outside the building.

ImmunoTek Bio Centers is planning to collect blood plasma at the Johnson City site. The company operates collection centers in 20 states. Twenty more sites are under development and the firm is making plans to open 40 more centers over the next three years.

ImmunoTek's website indicates two other collection centers are "coming soon" in New York state. They are to be located in North Syracuse and Queensbury.

ImmunoTek representatives did not return calls seeking information about the opening date for the Johnson City site and how many people will be employed there. The site is located just north of the Binghamton University Health Sciences Campus.

CSL Plasma opened a collection center on Hooper Road in Endwell a few years ago.

A woman who was walking past the planned ImmunoTek facility on Main Street in Johnson City on Wednesday said she thought the development was "awesome."

The woman, who said she is homeless, said she was pleased she wouldn't have to travel to Endwell to make plasma donations. She said she is paid $100 a week for donations she makes at CSL Plasma. She said she has been giving plasma at the site for more than two years.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.