Dan Bain’s company is under contract to buy the property from Kim Abrams. He said the first of three phases of an environmental study showed no leak in the 17-year-old, double-lined fuel tank. If final studies show no indication of leaked fuel, he plans to keep the tank. Otherwise, he said he will not buy the building.

Bain said his company is going to put a substantial amount of money into the property and close the store for renovations so customers aren’t walking into constant construction. He plans to reopen it later this year.

He intends to have a commercial kitchen, a deli, coffee, beverages and groceries. He said it would be a duplicate of his current store in Lake Placid, minus the ice cream since Teddy’s already provides ice cream in Bloomingdale.

He did not say what the name of his Bloomingdale store will be but said it will not be the Adirondack Corner Store or Bloomin’ Market.

Walter and Jack Palawsky talk to Anastasia Dierna of the Bloomin’ Market while they purchase groceries at the counter. (Enterprise photo — Dana Hatton)

Abrams said she didn’t renew the lease with Joe and Anastasia Dierna, who currently run the Bloomin’ Market, because she had somebody interested in buying the property.

The Diernas were upset by this. They said their five-year lease with Abrams ends this month, and they requested a three-year extension. Instead Abrams offered them a month-to-month lease.

“The new owner was totally willing to sign a three-year lease with Joe,” Abrams said. “I just couldn’t commit myself to signing a three-year lease and selling it, obviously.”

The Diernas disputed this, saying Bain never offered them a three-year lease. [Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article did not contain this paragraph.]

Abrams said Joe had wrongly presumed he owned the building.

Walter Palawsky pumps gas at the only fuel tank at the Bloomin’ Market in Bloomingdale. (Enterprise photo — Dana Hatton)

“Joe tried to sell the place, but it wasn’t his to sell,” she said. “The people approached him and said they wanted to buy it, and he came up with a price to sell it to them. But he didn’t own it, so I’m not sure how he figured he could sell something he doesn’t even own.”

The Diernas disputed this as well. Rather, they said, they tried to arrange with Dan Bain and Abrams for Bain to buy the building from Abrams, but they did so knowing Abrams owned the building. [Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article did not contain this paragraph.]

“I’m not real happy about it in the manner in which it’s being done, I should say,” Joe said. “I don’t understand hanging me and my wife out to dry. She had it for sale a long time before we came along, so I kind of feel like a sucker. I really do, and I don’t care if you print that.”

Joe said he isn’t taking action because he doesn’t want to be involved with lawyers. The Diernas don’t intend to open any kind of business in the future, but they said they will miss their loyal customers.

“The majority of people are extremely supportive and helpful, and we have done the best to meet their needs and whatever they wanted,” Joe said. “We would just like to say thanks. It’s been enlightening.”