It’s official -- the site of the former Stratfield Supermarket has a big “for lease” sign in the window.
The sign was posted in March, several months after the national pharmacy chain Walgreens .
Walgreens holds a 20-year lease on the 1280 Stratfield Road property, which has stood empty and deteriorating for years. According to the town’s Mark Barnhart, Walgreens will sublet the space. He added that the town officials have spoken with some prospective tenants, but no plans or applications have been filed to date.
The 9,740 square foot space has been listed for lease by RHYS, a commercial real estate firm. Rent is negotiable, according to the listing on RHYS’s website.
What do you want to see take the place of the Stratfield Supermarket?
Yes...I believe Fairfield won. If I wanted to live in Jersey, I would move to Jersey. Enough with the big businesses moving in without regard. Unfortunately for Walgreens, there strategy of out-lasting the neighborhood in a waiting game didn't work, and now it is for lease. Have patience.
Point is, if people like the Stratfield neighborhood, they should fight to keep its feel and character, not bow down to a Walgreens.
Being in the business for 25 years ill offer my advice for free to anyone who needs help drafting a lease, negotiating etc... It is a shame to see it empty. Regardless of what is located there many of the locals will benefit. If not just keep driving by.
I am one of the many people who opposed the Walgreens, I would rather see it empty. I would only want a small market back. I miss the IGA
And as far as Applebees is concerned, that was most definitely an elitist response against having a lower cost food restaurant in town. The excuse often cited was that Applebees called itself a "Bar and Grill." For cryin' out loud, there's a Joes American Bar and Grill diagonally across the street from where Applebees would have been! Very easy for the elitists and snobs in this town (and they have unfortunately increased dramatically in numbers!) to hide behind the mantra of keeping our small community a community. We're not a "small community" any more. Back on topic, while I agree that there are too many drugstores and pharmacies in town already, a Walgreens at the Stratfield site would have been much better to the blight that is there now.
Cant wait to see what they open.
Aware that I am (very) late to the game, I would like to put my two cents in this conversation. Discussions such as these demonstrate that Fairfield residents care deeply what we see happening in our community and want to contribute. A former Stratfield Village resident, I understand why many locals view a chain store as undesirable. Chain stores strive to build a trusted brand with a repeatable and reliable customer experience. One major benefit to their shoppers is predictability of the customer experience. Customers walk in to find everything as expected. This is desirable especially when the shopper is in an unfamiliar area. But we don’t love Stratfield because it offers predictability; we love it for dozens of other reasons. It is walkable and bikable, pet friendly, family friendly, and includes a mix of housing types and residential/commercial zoning and public space. All of these qualities are SO SOUGHT AFTER in suburban planning that entire development firms have sprung up to re-create these conditions in new developments. In Stratfield these elements are already present. Fairfield locals who value Stratfield want to celebrate this wonderful comingling of pleasant elements in the neighborhood and add to that mix rather than interrupting it with the addition of a chain store that would pop up on every traveler’s smartphone.
Section one - create a social space, a coffee shop and bakery with a FABULOUS and HEALTHY kids’ menu. Friends will linger over lunch or stop in on the walk home from school. Parents out with kids will grab a quick coffee and snack. Commuters on their way to work will meet for a coffee and stop in on the way home for dessert pastries. Section two - open a very small market where local farms’ produce is featured. Think NYC corner store with flowers along the sidewalk. Home delivery service would add an element of personal service that the neighborhood craves and provide after-school employment for enterprising teens. Section three - establish a prominent, striking storefront featuring pop-up shops. Rent could vary seasonally, allowing the landlord to attract businesses with a variety of financial means for rent. Think Blue Jeans Bar, costume rental shop in October, back-to-school themed sales in August, trunk shows. Fairfield is home to myriad entrepreneurs who work from home and would benefit from access to a storefront on a short-term basis. Down time? Rent the space out for events. Fairfield interior designers could showcase work by providing design services for events. Local artists could offer their works for display in the pop up space to give them market exposure. If anyone is still tuned in to this discussion thread, please share reactions to this idea.