newington fair plaza update!

[AmesNewington]

I just wanted to create this section to provide an open space for the development of the Newington Fair complex that only has two stores, and a lot of empty space.

Current tenants:

Toys 'r Us
Stickley Audi Co. Furniture

Past Tenants:

Caldor
F&M (don't know anything on this store)
Service Merchandise

Possible Future Tenants:

Sam's Club
Linens 'n' Things
Ashley Furniture
Fitness Center

[TRU7536]

hey amesnewington, i just called newingtonlife, the newspaper that that that article of the joann's plaza, they do alot of articles on the berlin turnpike. I told her about whats the rumors going on with newington fair and gave her the website to the landlords website, and she said their going to do an article on it and see whats going to be happening with it. lol

[d_fife]

CHARTWEB HAS THE SITE PLAN FOR THIS PLAZA!!!

HOW MUCH BUSINESS DOES THIS TOYS R US GET? I LOKED THIS ONE UP ON HArtford outdated articles and it said the store Replaced the F&M Food store that closed and the Toys r us opened November 16, 1996 and is 30,600 square feet. THAT IS SMALL. AND THE TOYS R US LOCATOR SAYS THERE IS TOYS R US IN MANCHESTER CT AND WEST HARTFORD (NEARBY)

[TRU7536]

simple answer, it was the number one store for xmas 04 in sales gain for the new england region. They are pretty busy all the time, they make bewteen 2,000 to 5,000 less than the West Hartford Toys r us, but that was before i left in setmber 04. I go in their all the time, they tell me business rocks. Newington Toys R Us is one of the few Toys r Us in CT that makes money, not loses compared to manchester or West Hartford. The size of the store is small, but West Hartford is only like 10,000 square feet more.

[TRU7536]

hey D_fife, what article is that? can you send it to me.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by TRU7536
hey D_fife, what article is that? can you send it to me.

this is it

 The Hartford Courant - November 16, 1996
hartford courant (FROM NEWSLIBRARY)
TOYS `R' US OPENS IN FORMER DRUGSTORE SITE  
  Toys `R' Us opens today on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington Fair, a 21-acre shopping center that is also home to Caldor and Service Merchandise.The toy store will lease the 30,600-square-foot retail space last occupied by F & M Drug. The building has been vacant for about a year since the drugstore closed.``I think Toys `R' Us is much more appropriate for the location than a drugstore and will complement Service Merchandise and Caldor,'' Town Manager Keith...

[TRU7536]

Hey Amesnewington, do you live in Newington or did you work their?

[AmesNewington]

TRU- I'm only 16 years old and have lived in Newington for 15 years (since 1990). My family knows a lot of things about the stores in Newington. Even when they didn't live in Newington, they shopped in Newington on the Berlin Turnpike. I love stores and miss Ames Bradlees Caldor and Woolworths.

Also, I saw what you said about Toys 'r' Us. Are you serious? That's impossible! I always heard that Wal-Mart forced other stores to close because of competition, but buying them out is a first to me. So in about 10 years, Wal-Mart will be the only variety store in Newington. That's sick! When will the store close?

[TRU7536]

Hey AmesNewington, i finally got an answer from the Town about the Newington Fair.

"This property is under option to a developer who has been meeting with Town staff to discuss possible reuse for a Sam?s Club.  There are several environmental issues related to the wetlands and ponds on the property that the developer?s engineers are looking into.  Any reuse of this property will require public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission.  Based on the developer?s schedule these hearing may occur early fall Sept-Oct). Call for more information."

I am so going to these mettings when they come around!

[Caldor1999]

what happening to that Caldor anyways im so confused is it gonna be torn down is it gonna stay vacant:question:

[TRU7536]

the building is going to stay up. They are going to divide it into 3 sections. I just found out yesturday from the managers from the newington TRU, that LA Fitness is going to be moving into it. Linens & thinsg and Asheley Furniture are not 100% secure yet, But LA Fitness is 100% a go. They got an email from corporate about it.

[TRU7536]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15434427&BRD=1641&PAG=461&dept_id=10110&rfi=6

read this website, things fianlly seem to be going somewhere!

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by TRU7536
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15434427&BRD=1641&PAG=461&dept_id=10110&rfi=6

read this website, things fianlly seem to be going somewhere!

are they tearing down the caldor?

[TRU7536]

are they tearing down the caldor?


no, caldor will still stand, they will just divide it up into 3 sections.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by TRU7536
are they tearing down the caldor?


no, caldor will still stand, they will just divide it up into 3 sections.

so so the caldor is gonnna be worked on so noythe rstore is moveing in there

[TRU7536]

TOYS R US IS SET TO CLOSE IN THE NEWINGTON FAIR PLAZA AFTER XMAS! iT A HUGE CHANCE THIS STORE WILL NOT MAKE IT TO ITS 10TH ANNIVESARY! RIP STORE 7536 1996-2005

[AmesNewington]

That's ridiculous! To my knowledge, they are still hiring. They better start re-occuping and building new stores there, because the Newington Fair has nothing but Stickley Furniture now. That could easily become a "dead mall" if TRU closes.

[Caldor1999]

so is that place a mall or a shopping center that ssad it has lost caldor service merchjadise and now its porbley gonna lose toys r us

[AmesNewington]

The Newington Fair (named because it is in route to the Berlin Fair grounds) was built in 1994. It was swamp area and was utilized since it's the Berlin Turnpike. They built three huge stores that are all seperate. Caldor is on the east side, F&M Drug was on the west side, and Service Merchandise was on the north side. In 1995, F&M quickly closed up, and Toys 'r' Us moved in during 1996. Three years later, Caldor closed in '99. It's been vacant since. Then in about 2002, Service Merchandise closed. In about 2004, Stickley Furniture moved in to that store. Now only those two stores remain. The Caldor sign still appears on Caldor on two sides. It might even still light up at night somewhat. Now, if TRU closes, the side of the plaza towards the Turnpike will be vacant. Stickley Furniture is way in back by the swamp area. I really don't think anyone wants to take the time to fix up the plaza because of work that needs to be done with it. I do think that this area would be excellent for a wide range of stores as it is so big.

Toys 'r' Us is the only toy store in the area (KB Toys closed in 2004). Wal-Mart and Target are the only two places for just about anything.

[TRU7536]

TRu is still hiring, but that is for xmas help. Everyeoe in that store is very worried and feel the store will close after the xmas season. here are the reasons why theynthink they will close. 1. their they only tru in CT not to get any og the new products for the season. 2. Their the only store in ct not getting any new sinage for their store( new signs  displaying where things are, what area their in etc.) TRU is set to close 8 stores in the northeast, five have been confirmd, three havent. They feel that their store will be one of the stores to close down, but i hope not, it really comes down to how well they do for xmas.

[AmesNewington]

So, they aren't officially closing yet. Then let's hope for the best. The last time I went to TRU on the Berlin Turnpike, it was doing good business. However, it does sound as they are neglecting the Newington store. An annoying kid in my Accounting class just got a job there. If TRU does close, serves him right for being such a smart "arse".

[TRU7536]

So, Toys R Us isnt closing, thank God! Also, i was watching the news this morniing and NBC reported that Stew Leonards is going to move into the Old Caldor in Newington.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by TRU7536
So, Toys R Us isnt closing, thank God! Also, i was watching the news this morniing and NBC reported that Stew Leonards is going to move into the Old Caldor in Newington.

if your near there u should take alot of pics of it before it gos caldor is such a hard store to find now the only on ei know of that is still vacant is the one in middle town NY withc i thionk will just sit there forever

[TRU7536]

NEW STEW?S IN NEWINGTON
Stew Leonard?s First Location in the Hartford Area Slated to Open in Early 2007
NORWALK, Conn., February 3, 2006 ? Farm fresh milk, locally-grown produce, custom-cut beef, just-caught fish, bread baked from scratch and gourmet prepared meals, combined with costumed characters and world-class customer service, are moving into the Hartford, Conn. area in the form of a new Stew Leonard?s fresh foods market.

The location of the new Stew Leonard?s store is the 112,800 square foot former Caldor?s store, located at 3475 Berlin Turnpike, in Newington, Connecticut, approximately 10 miles outside the state?s capital. The family owned food store is slated to open in early 2007, after making $15 million dollars in improvements, including:

? Building an in-store from scratch bakery and state of the art kitchens
? Installing a specialty cheese aging room and prepared foods area with indoor seating
? A caf? complete with coffee roasted right in front of the customer
? Ice cream parlor serving freshly made soft-serve ice cream.

?We?ve always wanted to open a store in the Hartford area, but were never able to find a suitable location until recently, when this property became available,? said Stew Leonard, President and CEO of Stew Leonard?s.

Named the ?Best Supermarket in New England? by Yankee Magazine, what distinguishes Stew Leonard?s is its focus on fresh food. Unlike traditional grocery stores that sell an average of 50,000 items, Stew Leonard?s store carries only 2,000 items, of which 80 percent are fresh ? that is brought in daily or prepared from scratch in the store. The milk arrives fresh daily straight from Stew Leonard?s dairy farm in Ellington, Connecticut, so customers can buy milk that has gone from farm to shelf in as little as six hours. The store is nicknamed the ?Disneyland of dairy stores? because of its country-fair atmosphere, with costumed characters and animated entertainment throughout the store that keep children entertained while parents shop. Stew Leonard?s legion of loyal shoppers is largely due to the stores? passionate approach to customer service: ?Rule #1 -- The Customer is Always Right?; Rule #2 ? If the Customer is Ever Wrong, Re-Read Rule #1.? This principle is so essential to the foundation of the company that it is etched in a three-ton granite rock at each store?s entrance.

Since Stew Leonard founded the store in 1969, the company has remained family owned and operated, with Stew Leonard, Jr. as President and CEO, alongside his sisters Jill Leonard Tavello and Beth Leonard Hollis who help with the day-to-day operations, and brother Tom who is a partner in the business. The family?s cousins, Tom and Dan Arthur, run the Yonkers and Danbury stores, respectively, with Dan Arthur taking the helm of the Newington store when it opens.

Stew Leonard?s has been recognized as one of FORTUNE magazine?s ?100 Best Companies to Work for? for the last five consecutive years, and currently employees 2,000 team members, with 88 percent of the management team being promoted from within the company. During the renovation of the Newington site, Stew Leonard?s will employ 200 people from various construction trades. Once opened, the store will employ 400 team members, with 65 percent of the positions being full-time. In addition, Stew Leonard?s will become an integral part of the community, donating food and money to locally based charities and organizations, holding family fun events and providing volunteer and service opportunities for Team Members.

The Newington store will be Stew Leonard?s third store in Connecticut. The other store locations are Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, NY. with additional stores planned in Orange, Conn. and East Farmingdale, N.Y. Stew Leonard?s will lease the Newington building from the owner, American National Insurance Company out of Galveston, Texas, who is represented by Realm Realty of Houston, Texas. Representing Stew Leonard?s in the negotiation was Jeffrey L. Nable of SCA Commercial Real Estate in Westport, Connecticut.

?When I was a student at University of Connecticut I used to drive by this site on my way to the agricultural school. It is so amazing to me that 50 years later, we are opening a food store here,? said founder Stew Leonard, Sr.

Stew Leonard's began as a small dairy store founded in Norwalk, Conn. in 1969 with just seven employees. Today, Stew Leonard's is still family-owned and operated, but has grown to become a nearly $300 million dollar business with 2,000 employees. In addition to the original store in Norwalk, Conn., Stew Leonard's has stores in Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, NY., with additional stores planned in East Farmingdale, N.Y and Orange, Connecticut. For more information, visit Stew Leonard's website at www.stewleonards.com.

[Caldor1999]

hears how teh caldo r looks now fomr the looks of it it was probley bulit on swamp lands

[TRU7536]

http://www.realmrealty.com/newington.htm


Stew's will open early 2007, sams clube late 2007. theirs a map of what the plaza will look like.

[Marc82]

So are they closing the other Sam's club that's currently on the Turnpike near Home Depot?

[XISMZERO]

Here's the lot in the back they are planning to relocate Sam's Club as some attempt to revitalize Newington Fair. I'm guessing Sam's didn't want to move in until the vacant Caldor space had been filled.

[XISMZERO]

Here's a crashed down light post found on Saturday in the Stickley, Audi & Co. area of the lot.

[XISMZERO]

Would've been a cool souvenir...