Webster Square Shopping Center, Berlin CT

[AmesNewington]

The Webster Square Shopping Center is located on Webster Square Road in Berlin CT.

Current tenants include:

Ocean State Job Lot
Harbor Freight Tools
Dollar Tree
Family Dollar
Wah-Wah Kitchen
Unnamed Cleaning Service
Tandy Leather

It was once home to many stores including Food Mart, which became Waldbaums Foodmart and later Super Foodmart/A&P, Woolworth's, which burnt down the same year the company went out of business, Railroad Salvage, Berlin Cine 1+2, and several other local businesses of the past. Since the Woolworth's fire in April, 1997, the plaza was neglected and a giant hole in the building where Woolworth's stood along with a boarded up Cinema, detracted shoppers from coming here and other businesses opening. Ocean State Job Lot and Family Dollar came to the plaza in 2001 and jump started that end of the plaza with a façade renovation. Over the 2000's decade, Foodmart struggled, especially after Stop and Shop opened in 2004. They eventually closed when A&P sold off their Central CT stores in 2010 to Big Y. Job Lot bought the plaza in 2013 and relocated their store to the old Foodmart in 2014. They brought in Aculer RTO (now closed), Tandy Leather, and Dollar Tree. In 2015, the former Cine 1 +2 building was demolished, leaving a larger hole, and a white fence was installed down to the Woolworth's space. Today, the plaza is still in shambles, the parking lot is beyond repair, and no sign of any new tenants. The Acura dealer next to the plaza moved in 2017 to the Berlin Turnpike, leaving another empty building.

[AmesNewington]

UPDATE 6/2018-Aculer RTO, one of two newer establishments in the plaza, has closed. The sign on the building was taken down just this week. The sign on the pylon at the corner of Woodlawn Road and Berlin Turnpike is still up. I've noticed the space has been dark for a few weeks, despite the sign being up.

The parking lot is disgraceful. It looks like a tornado hit it. I'm thinking Job Lot, who owns the plaza, is not interested in the upkeep of the shopping center. If I were them, I would have worked with ShopRite when they had the chance and build a nice size store in the middle where most of the vacant space is and they would have been set. This plaza is not on the Berlin Turnpike, but it is very accessible, Berlin is a large town, and it currently only houses one full service supermarket (Stop and Shop). Many surrounding towns such as Newington, New Britain, Meriden, and Wethersfield would benefit as well. One other downside is the fact ShopRite will be opening in Cromwell later in the year, only a few miles from the site. I still think it wouldn't be a big issue, because S&S is in Cromwell too, very close to their Berlin store.

[giantsfan2016]

I mentioned more that 8 years ago they should've bulldoze this plaza. I think someone needs to buy this plaza from Job Lot. (I think I mentioned this to you on Facebook Messenger).

[Jstar1994]

There is a walk in medical clinic negotiating to move into the Aculer RTO space. The problem with getting another grocery store in that plaza is how those companies split up regions in that area. Newington and Berlin are a region and since Newington has so many grocery stores, it is making it very difficult for another grocery store to move in. I think that will all of the work that the owner of Executive Auto is planning for the surrounding area of the new Acura of Berlin, there is a big opportunity in that area. I think if they building in the former cinema and woolworth space, they can attract a decent tenant (Marshalls,Homegoods, etc) and continue to build out the plaza. They can build a few pad sites in the parking lot to eliminate wasted parking and then market the area as an "up and coming entertainment district". The theater just completed a beautiful multi million dollar top to bottom renovation and now they can help support the area better. If it were up to me, I would get a Dave and Busters in that plaza, Marshalls/Home Goods, and boot OSJL for a grocery store that we do not have in the area.

[AmesNewington]

There is a walk in medical clinic negotiating to move into the Aculer RTO space. The problem with getting another grocery store in that plaza is how those companies split up regions in that area. Newington and Berlin are a region and since Newington has so many grocery stores, it is making it very difficult for another grocery store to move in. I think that will all of the work that the owner of Executive Auto is planning for the surrounding area of the new Acura of Berlin, there is a big opportunity in that area. I think if they building in the former cinema and woolworth space, they can attract a decent tenant (Marshalls,Homegoods, etc) and continue to build out the plaza. They can build a few pad sites in the parking lot to eliminate wasted parking and then market the area as an "up and coming entertainment district". The theater just completed a beautiful multi million dollar top to bottom renovation and now they can help support the area better. If it were up to me, I would get a Dave and Busters in that plaza, Marshalls/Home Goods, and boot OSJL for a grocery store that we do not have in the area.

I don't think Job Lot should move out. It's actually one of the better locations in the area. Dollar Tree is nicer compared to others too. I have always thought a ShopRite would fit well in this location. They would attract so many people to the plaza, and then you would get interest from a Marshall's/HomeGoods and others because a strong anchor would be there already. The problem is Job Lot would have to invest heavily in to reconfiguring the parking lot and paving it. ShopRite would pay to build their store and any demolition if necessary. It would also require a lot of planning on Job Lot's part to facilitate pad sites. The former Acura parcel is another golden opportunity.

I disagree that the Newington/Berlin area has an oversaturation of grocery stores. Stew Leonards and Stop and Shop in Berlin are the only viable options in the immediate area. Aldi is farther down the Pike and I don't see a future for Price Chopper in Newington, as well as Stop and Shop in the old Shaws. As a matter of fact, ShopRite would probably make a dent in Stop and Shop's business if done right. I worry that the new Cromwell ShopRite will influence whether a ShopRite would be possible for Berlin, but it's still far away enough.

This plaza and the stretch of Farmington Ave in Berlin is pitiful. Several vacancies and poor road conditions. This area has potential.

[Jstar1994]

The problem with OSJL is that when it is the sole tenant of a plaza, the plaza does not attract the best tenants. The NewBrite plaza does well because it has three major tenants, but anything with just an OSJL as a leading tenant usually attracts dollar stores and other businesses that cycle in and out. OSJL does not seem to do a good job on the real estate investment side unless businesses are willing to pay for it and that is not the right business model nowadays.

The old acura building has been purchased by New Britain Schools new transportation company since Dattco lost the contract. They were approved to operate there and will be a "home office" for them. Shoprite and Big Y have already expressed zero interest in the property according to OSJL real estate.

The parking lot is already big enough where reconfiguration would not be that hard and they are already approved for pad sites in the parking lot.

[AmesNewington]

The problem with OSJL is that when it is the sole tenant of a plaza, the plaza does not attract the best tenants. The NewBrite plaza does well because it has three major tenants, but anything with just an OSJL as a leading tenant usually attracts dollar stores and other businesses that cycle in and out. OSJL does not seem to do a good job on the real estate investment side unless businesses are willing to pay for it and that is not the right business model nowadays.

The old acura building has been purchased by New Britain Schools new transportation company since Dattco lost the contract. They were approved to operate there and will be a "home office" for them. Shoprite and Big Y have already expressed zero interest in the property according to OSJL real estate.

The parking lot is already big enough where reconfiguration would not be that hard and they are already approved for pad sites in the parking lot.

How do you know ShopRite and Big Y expressed zero interest? Big Y I can see since they didn't purchase that Food Mart in 2010.

Also, I would hope New Britain Transportation will not park their busses in the old Acura lot upon them moving their offices there.

[Jstar1994]

Ive spoken to the leasing managers of that plaza under OSJL ownership and they've tried to get a grocery store in there including Big Y and Shoprite...grocery store chains have no interest in the plaza in it's current state.

[giantsfan2016]

Chances are Stop & Shop is paying Job Lot to not let a grocery store open in that plaza.

The problem with OSJL is that when it is the sole tenant of a plaza, the plaza does not attract the best tenants. The NewBrite plaza does well because it has three major tenants, but anything with just an OSJL as a leading tenant usually attracts dollar stores and other businesses that cycle in and out.

New Brite Plaza was already doing well before Job Lot opened. The investment company that owned the plaza before Paramount Realty bought the plaza in 2011 renovated the plaza and got AJ Wright and Save-a-Lot to anchor the plaza. Job Lot would take that last vacant space later on. AJ Wright became Marshall's after TJX discontinued the AJ Wright brand.

[AmesNewington]

Ive spoken to the leasing managers of that plaza under OSJL ownership and they've tried to get a grocery store in there including Big Y and Shoprite...grocery store chains have no interest in the plaza in it's current state.

Well if the state of the plaza is the issue, OSJL should agree to some terms of fixing the plaza to meet their standards. You have to give a little to get a little back. All this time I thought it was OSJL that didn't want a grocery store in the plaza.

[Jstar1994]

The family dollar in this plaza is officially closing at the end of August. I'm surprised it took as long as it did with it's sister store on the other side of the plaza for a few years now.A business called Fun Hub LLC was also approved, so it will be interesting to see where they will be located.

[AmesNewington]

The family dollar in this plaza is officially closing at the end of August. I'm surprised it took as long as it did with it's sister store on the other side of the plaza for a few years now.A business called Fun Hub LLC was also approved, so it will be interesting to see where they will be located.

Ever since Dollar Tree opened in October 2017, I was wondering how long Family Dollar would last. They were never busy before that. This is the only plaza I know of in this area that had both. I guess the massive closures planned by corporate to consolidate operations finally sealed the deal. It was deceiving because a few weeks ago, they had a Now Hiring sign in their window. Unless that was for the duration of the closing sale or for other FD stores, it didn't seem they were going anywhere. The staff is friendly, and residents use the store as a destination for staple items, because there are not many choices for that in town. But the store is very rundown. The windows have probably never been replaced since the plaza was built. It's really time for this plaza to get some attention on that end. Too bad they couldn't attract a Big Y there and clean up the whole place.

These family fun centers are turning up all over the place. There is another one going in to New Brite Plaza in New Britain in the Job Lot space and I noticed they opened one in a vacant space at Buckland Hills Mall in Manchester. Depending on the size, it could either be in Webster Square the old Job Lot space in full, the old Billiards space, or Family Dollar and adjacent long time vacant space next to it before the Chinese restaurant. The rest of that section of the plaza is full. I can never tell if the laundry service is still operating, but it always looks abandoned and shouldn't be in a shopping plaza if they are not open to the public.

I agree with earlier posts that a grocery store along with a HomeGoods would be great for the area. Dave and Busters (would have been nice in old Acura building instead of New Britain Transportation)would be a nice idea because Berlin is far enough from Manchester and it would bring people to town. That, along with the theater, gym and dealerships would get the extra cars down that way. I was also thinking that with the future development planned around the train station on Farmington Avenue will spur more economic development on that stretch, if that's possible. But I have always said that Webster Square Plaza is better located off Route 9 and is very visible. You just need a "draw" to get people to come. I took my car to a business off Farmington Ave a few weeks ago, and it took me 5 minutes to get out of the street I was coming out of, that's how many cars were traveling on that road.