Patriot Federal Credit Union buying former Rite Aid site in Greencastle

The former Rite Aid property in Greencastle will become the newest location of a long-standing local financial institution.

Patriot Federal Credit Union has entered into an agreement with the Martin family – Dean and Mike, owners of Sunnyway Foods Inc. – to purchase the property on the corner of North Antrim Way and Williamson Avenue.

Looking ahead

Patriot plans to raze the former drug store, which closed early this year, and build a modern full-service facility on the site at 200 N. Antrim Way, according to a joint statement issued by the Martin family and Patriot on Friday, April 26.

“There has been quite a bit of chatter in the community since the Rite Aid store closed next door,” Dean Martin said. “I can now confirm that we’ve been working with Patriot on a mutually beneficial partnership. We believe that in addition to bringing a local financial organization to benefit the community, the development of the property with a Patriot branch will enhance the area and improve traffic flow for our customers. We’re looking forward to having them as our next-door neighbor here in Greencastle.”

The sale is pending municipal and regulatory approvals, and Patriot will announce detailed plans, including a tentative opening date, when the sale is complete.

“We are very excited to partner with the Martin family to purchase this property for our future Greencastle branch,” said Ron Celaschi, president of Patriot. “For several years our team has been identifying potential sites for a branch, and we believe that this location provides a fantastic opportunity for us to build a new branch to serve the financial needs of the local community and our strong member base in Greencastle and the surrounding area.”

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How has the credit union grown?

Patriot was established as Letterkenny Federal Credit Union in 1965 to serve employees of Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg.

Today it has 80,000 members, assets of more than $1 billion, 10 branches, plus a student branch inside Chambersburg Area Senior High School, and 20 SMART ATMs in Franklin County in Pennsylvania, Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

To visit a full-service branch, Greencastle members currently have to drive to Chambersburg, Waynesboro or Hagerstown.

In February 2024:Rite Aid closes after decades in Greencastle

What’s the history of the property?

The building at 200 N. Antrim Way is the original home of Sunnyway Foods grocery store, opened by the Martins’ parents, Margaret Martin and the late Aldine Martin, on April 1, 1955.

Sunnyway moved to a new building next door at 212 N. Antrim Way in the mid-1960s and Rite Aid opened in the former grocery store around the same time.

Rite Aid, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2023, has shuttered hundreds of stores in recent years. The Greencastle store closed on Feb. 5.