Correspondent photo / Amanda Smith Lakeview Ace Hardware recently opened in the storefront formerly occupied by Rite Aid on West Main Street in Cortland. The owner, Toma Leveto, also owns Ace Hardware locations in Niles and Struthers.

CORTLAND — When the Rite Aid pharmacy chain went bankrupt and left 1,900 empty retail locations across America, local communities looked in dismay at the 12,000-square-foot buildings suddenly left empty in the middle of some of their busiest commercial districts.

In Cortland, one of those empty stores now has new life. The former pharmacy on West Main Street has been fully remodeled and reopened as Lakeview Ace Hardware.

“The response has been excellent. People are very excited,” said store owner Toma Leveto.

The investment was a significant expansion for Leveto, who also owns Ace Hardware locations in Niles and Struthers.

“We came to Cortland because there was a need for a store here. After doing all the research and finding the building that was available, it seemed to be the best fit for us,” he said.

City leaders say the building’s return to active use is one of the clearest signs yet that 2025 marked a rising energy for business growth in Cortland.

Looking ahead to 2026, Mayor Deidre Petrosky said the city plans to build on that momentum with continued downtown revitalization and new community spaces.

“We have lots of new and exciting things happening in the city,” Petrosky said. “We’re just trying to bring the city back to life. We have a wonderful city. I just want to make a great city better.”

City officials see Lakeview Ace Hardware as part of a broader pattern of growth that includes both small, locally focused businesses and larger retail investments.

Petrosky pointed to Little Charlie’s Bakery, which is expanding its offerings to include coffee, ice cream and additional baked goods.

“They offer wonderful baked goods,” she said. “They have all different kinds of things.”

She also highlighted the Cortland Collaborative and its new Maker’s Market Cafe, which provides shared resources for entrepreneurs and a retail space for small businesses to sell their products.

“The collaborative gives local small businesses resources that they can use,” Petrosky said. “This can give them a space with all the office equipment that they need. Then it evolved into the Maker’s Market Cafe, where small businesses can sell their wares in the market space.”

Other recent openings include Pearl Street Market, where shoppers can find antiques; the What’s the Scoop ice cream shop serving Cockeye Creamery ice cream; and a new Eclectic Coffee location that opened earlier this winter. The city also has added the Animal Resource Center, a nonprofit whose services include a cat adoption room and pet food pantry, next to Sparkle Market.

“There’s lots of new and exciting things happening,” Petrosky said.

While the city has not launched a formal business recruitment campaign, Petrosky said Cortland’s appeal is growing as leaders work to revitalize the downtown area and improve quality of life.

“We’re trying to work with local businesses and trying to revitalize the downtown area,” she said.

Looking ahead to 2026, city officials plan to move forward with a new downtown community event and education space. Petrosky said the city expects to go out to bid for construction in the coming months.

She said she hopes continued public and private investment will keep drawing both entrepreneurs and established businesses to the city.

“We’re just going to continue to move forward,” she said.

For Leveto, the Cortland store represents both a business opportunity and a personal investment in the community he has called home for two decades.

“It’s a good place to live,” he said. “I’ve lived here 22 years and never thought I would have a store here, but here we are.”