Drivers who've kept their eyes peeled while traveling down Route 209 in Ellenville may have noticed a new addition quietly being erected near the Ellenville Beverage Center — the new Ellenville Town Plaza will soon be open for business.

According to Saumik "Sonny" Patel, the owner of the property and former owner of the Ellenville Beverage Center business, the new building will cost an estimated $600,000, however he's sure to add, "I don't have an exact number right now because we still have some outstanding bills that we need to take care of."

The plaza will feature a liquor and wine shop, a discount beverage store, and a combination money mart/convenience store, the last of which will be owned and operated by Patel himself, though he'll have a manager overseeing the mart's day-to-day operations. The money mart will be one of three locations Patel will own and operate, the other two will be located in Liberty and Monticello.

"They're going to do check cashing, Western Union, money order, utility bill payments, and that kind of thing," says Patel describing the business. "And in the same store they're going to have a small coffee, bagel, and breakfast shop. It'll be like a small convenience store — not a sit-down place, but just a quick-in, quick-out sort of place."

Patel explains the reason for bringing the money mart to Ellenville.

"When I was running the beverage place, we used to have a lot of people come in wanting to cash checks, requesting to do check cashing, but we weren't able to do it," he says. "We didn't have enough cash in the business where we could do it. But I checked with the New York state banking department, I applied for the license, and once I get the license, we'll be opening."

Patel estimates that the money mart will be open for business in about two or three months while awaiting the license. Meanwhile, the convenience store portion of the mart will open in early December, though, "we've still got so many things to do inside," he says.

Patel also adds that about three positions will need to be filled when the business opens, which he would want to go to local workers.

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