FULTON – Mayor Deana Michaels announced that River View Pediatrics, currently located at 63 S. First St., recently purchased the former Tops market at 909 W. First St., which will become the new location for their practice.
“This property, which has been vacant since 2018 and was a local supermarket for nearly 60 years, is getting a wonderful, new purpose helping the health and wellness of children in Fulton and surrounding communities,” Michaels said. “We are extremely excited for the River View team and for the patients they serve, as well as the new jobs and growth they anticipate and are planning for.”
River View is an equal partnership among Drs. Sarah Finocchiaro, Carla Overton and Christopher Delaney. Finocchiaro is the partnership president.
Construction is expected to begin within the next few weeks, and their goal is to open in March or April, 2023, Finocchiaro said.
“The support we’ve received from the city has been amazing,” she said. “Mayor Michaels has been super supportive every step of the way—even before we had decided on a location. This is the only place my partners and I want to be: serving our patients here in Fulton, my hometown and a place I love.”
The practice will occupy the majority of the building, approximately 8,000 sq. ft, which also includes two separate 3,500 sq. ft. spaces flanking the main entrance for tenant businesses. This more than doubles the practice’s current space. In Architects of Syracuse designed the new offices and construction is being contracted by Construction Design and Management, (CDM), Syracuse.
“My partners and I are absolutely thrilled about our new location and the many benefits and comforts it will afford our patients,” Finocchiaro said. “Among these will be plenty of parking with no street traffic to contend with, as well as easy wheelchair and stroller access. In addition, the entrance lobby will be huge with a large separation between ‘well’ and ‘sick’ patients—something we just didn’t have the space for before. There will also be large bathrooms with changing tables and a private, separate room for nursing moms. This location is absolutely perfect for our needs, and for the growth we expect because of it. ”
The practice currently treats approximately 6,000 patients and is accepting new patients (birth to 18 years of age).
Other features of the new offices will include a large central nursing station, and the number of examination rooms will increase from nine to 15. Patients will follow a circular pattern that affords greater privacy, starting with check-in, then a move to an exam room, and exit. The new offices will also have a separate, private consultation area.
In addition to the three partner pediatricians, the practice includes one part-time pediatrician, one full-time pediatric nurse practitioner, four licensed practical nurses, four full-time office staff, and one full-time office manager.
“We plan to add more doctors and nurses as we grow, while still keeping the warm, one-on-one attention that our patients expect, and this practice is built on,” Finocchiaro said. “Our goal is to get sick patients in on the same day they contact us. Covid and a lack of space didn’t always make this possible in recent years.”
River View Pediatrics was formed in 2017, and provides well child care, sports and employment physicals, treats acute illness and injuries, provides immunizations and behavioral health.
“River View Pediatrics is an extension of the 40-year practice and tradition of excellent and compassionate pediatric care founded by Dr. Stuart Trust,” Finocchiaro said.
According to Jerome Mirabito, Fulton Savings Bank senior vice president and a son of one of the original property owners, the 909 W. 1st St. site started as a Mirabito’s Supermarket that opened in 1959 or 1960, owned by Ross Mirabito and operated by Jerome’s parents, Angelo and Pauline Mirabito.
It became Angelo’s Big M Supermarket in December 1967, and its square footage doubled when the store expanded in 1977. Angelo and Pauline’s entire family were involved in operating the store, which provided employment and valuable work experience to countless high school students from Fulton for many years.
In 1990, Angelo and Pauline Mirabito retired and sold the business to John Struppler. It then became Struppler’s Shur Fine Market.
Struppler’s operated for 25 years until it was acquired by Tops Markets in August 2015. Tops closed in October 2018, and the building has been vacant since then.
