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New business celebrates opening in Bellefonte

At noon on Friday, Bellefonte Mart had its grand opening. From left to right: Gary Hoover, BIACC executive director; Commissioner Mark Higgins; owner Dolly Singh; Bellefonte Mayor Tom Wilson; Commissioner Mike Pipe; Renee Brown of the Central PA Convention and Visitors Bureau; Bellefonte Borough Manager Ralph Stewart; Lori Miller, interim executive director of the Central PA Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Assistant Borough Manager Don Holderman. EMMA GOSALVEZ/ THE EXPRESS

BELLEFONTE — Another building in Bellefonte that was damaged by fire has been restored and reopened, becoming the 20th new business to open in downtown Bellefonte since last January.

On Friday, Sept. 22, a grand opening was held for the Bellefonte Mart, a new convenience and gas station located at 431 W. Lamb St. The new business is located at the former site of the Uni-Mart that was damaged by fire in early June 2015.

At noon, the business had a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony, which was coordinated by the Bellefonte Intervalley Area Chamber of Commerce (BIACC) and attended by local government officials and members of the local community. Light refreshments were served afterward, and attendees had the opportunity to enter a drawing for a $40 gasoline credit.

Bellefonte Mart is owned by Dolly Singh, who hails from a royal family of India and operates many other businesses, both back home and in the State College and Altoona areas. She said that the Bellefonte Mart is her first business in Bellefonte.

“The Bellefonte community has not only opened up their doors for me, but they opened up their hearts for me, and I will do my best to help them out,” Singh said.

In addition to convenience store merchandise, the family-oriented business will have several food options, including pizza, hot dogs, and wraps, Singh said. The store officially opened on July 24, but Singh has since been working on slowly building up what the store has to offer.

Singh’s plans for Bellefonte certainly do not end at the Bellefonte Mart.

She said she has plans for an apartment building, hotel and a strip mall, plans which she hopes to get off the ground in the next six to eight months.

“Business was in my blood since day one,” Singh said.

The Bellefonte Mart will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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