First phase of construction is nearly done; next phase to begin by summer’s end

The new shape of the Damascus Centre is taking form on Woodfield Road and Main Street.

Several tenants have already moved into their new quarters and all except Safeway are expected to move out of their old storefronts and into new buildings by the end of the month.

‘‘I think [the remodeled shopping center] is certain to be an asset to the community,” Martha J. Schmidt, manager of the Damascus Long & Foster Real Estate office, said.

Ledo Pizza and Pasta was the first to move into its new location in early April, followed weeks later by Beall’s Florist, the Damascus Buffet Chinese restaurant, Mimi Nails and Long & Foster. ‘‘Business has picked up considerably since the move,” Ledo owner Jim Maloney said.

Ledo’s old location in the back of the shopping center behind Safeway gave it little visibility. The restaurant was a destination place for customers, but not a place they noticed while on the way to somewhere else, he said.

The new spot facing Woodfield Road in a strip of stores built close to the post office gives it good visibility and business has improved, Maloney said.

Although most of the tenants are moving into equivalently sized spaces, they find their new digs much improved.

‘‘They’ve done a nice job,” Maloney said. ‘‘We’re really pleased with the end product they’ve presented us with.”

Hekemian & Company of New Jersey bought the Damascus Centre five years ago and took four years planning the remodeling of the aging shopping center. Construction began last summer.

The two buildings are the first phase of a three-stage construction project, said Chris Bell, a Hekemian senior vice president.

Hekemian is building the new shopping center in phases to cause as little disruption as possible to tenants, he said.

‘‘It’s always challenging to keep all the customers coming in and out during construction,” he said.

So far, everything has gone smoothly, Bell said.

The new shopping center will be 5,000 square feet larger than the old center when it is finished.

Last week, a little more than 25 years after Long & Foster moved into the shopping center, it moved into its new home in a freestanding strip of stores and offices on Main Street, Schmidt said.

‘‘It means more exposure,” she said.

She is pleased with the new office, which she described as cozy, homey and bright with windows on three sides.

Long & Foster will share its building with Everything Equestrian and PR Family Medicine.

Everything Equestrian plans to move into its new store soon. The doctor’s office will move by the end of the month.

The new Everything Equestrian store, in the lower level of the building facing Main Street, will be a little bigger than the older one, giving the store more room to display riding gear and fancy casual clothing for people who like to ride, owner Stephanie Smith said.

The next phase of development will focus on building a new Safeway store, Bell said. Safeway will go from a 45,000-square-foot store to a 58,000-square-foot ‘‘lifestyle” store.

Hekemian is soliciting bids for the second phase and expects construction to begin in August or September, Bell said. The new Safeway is expected to open next spring.

The new center will have six separate buildings around the perimeter of a large parking lot. The former shopping center space will become the parking lot, Bell said.

When Safeway moves into its new store, its old building will be demolished and work will begin on the third phase. That could happen next spring and be completed by the end of 2009 or early 2010.

The final phase will bring new tenants to the shopping center, Bell said. Although he is in discussion with several possible tenants, none have signed commitments yet, he said.