B.R. Fries & Associates to build 2 Long Island Wal-Mart stores. (Retail New York).

B.R. Fries & Associates has been awarded contracts to build two new WalMart stores in East Setauket and Islandia, Long Island. The multi-million dollar projects include construction of the freestanding stores and adjacent parking areas.

The projects are the first the Manhattan-based contracting firm is doing for the discounting giant. The East Setauket store, on Nesconset Highway (Route 347), will occupy 132,000 SF. Fries is also constructing a 630-stall parking lot and is clearing and landscaping the 11.5-acre site. The 128,000-SF Islandia store on Veterans Memorial Highway will be a freestanding component of the existing Islandia Center, owned by Clearstory Inc. and managed by Skyline Management Corp. The Wal-Mart site replaces two stores that had been attached to the shopping center but were demolished.

Fries is also preparing a parking area with 570 stalls, which is part of a larger existing parking area for the shopping center. Work on the parking lot will be done in phases to keep it operational for the center's shoppers.

According to Barry Fries, president of B.R. Fries & Associates, both jobs are being fast-tracked for targeted January 2003 openings. The buildings will be completed and ready for fixturing by December, he said. "Wal-Mart has extremely high standards for construction," Fries said. "They are concerned about environmental issues, such as waste removal. We look forward to working with them and meeting or exceeding their standards."

Fries recently completed other retail construction projects on Long Island, including renovations of Pathmark stores in Baldwin and Islip. Currently, the firm is renovating the Pathmark in Jericho, with completion slated for September.