Date: Fri 01-Dec-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Big-Y-market-Queen-St

Full Text:

PAGE ONE: Big Y Plans A `World Class' Market In Newtown

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Big Y Foods, Inc, plans to open a new Big Y World Class Market at Newtown

Shopping Center on Queen Street, a company spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.

Claire D'Amour, Big Y's vice president for corporate affairs, said the

Springfield, Mass-based supermarket chain recently signed a lease agreement

with the owners of Newtown Shopping Center for the project.

Joseph Kasper, the shopping center's landlord, wasn't available for comment on

Thursday morning, before the The Bee went to press.

Ms D'Amour said Big Y intends to occupy a new building at the center with what

it calls a "World Class Market" like those it runs in Monroe and Naugatuck.

The Big Y plans to open a new market on Monday in Norwich, she said.

The shopping center's landlord plans to renovate and upgrade the center to

bring it up to the commercial standards of the 1990s, Ms D'Amour said.

The improvement work reportedly will involve new construction as well as some

demolition at the shopping plaza.

Newtown Shopping Center, which formerly was known as Wheeler Shopping Center,

has been a red-brick fixture on Queen Street for decades. During the past two

years, Mr Kasper has made some improvements to the facility which is a main

feature of Newtown's central business district. Improvements included a

repaved parking lot, new parking lot lighting, and altered traffic patterns.

The shopping center lost its main tenant, the A&P Supermarket, several years

ago. Last year, Mr Kasper renovated the store which housed the A&P. A produce

and fish store known as Nautural Food Market opened in a section of that space

earlier this year, but recently went out of business.

Two of the shopping center's prime tenants, Newtown Hardware and Drug Center,

recently relocated to a new building on Church Hill Road, leaving their former

spaces in Newtown Shopping Center vacant.

After repeated tries, Mr Kasper last year gained Borough Zoning Commission

approval to locate a new package store in the shopping center. Although the

center had housed a package store, Mr Kasper said it was too small to be

commercially viable. It was replaced with a package store which is

approximately four times bigger.

Ms D'Amour stressed that Big Y hasn't yet submitted its supermarket plans for

review by Newtown land use officials. "We have no approvals yet."

How soon the supermarket chain can occupy a new building in Newtown Shopping

Center depends upon the cooperation of town officials, she said, adding that

Big Y would like to be in a new building as soon as possible, hopefully within

about two years.

The shopping center's ability to discharge wastewater into the municipal sewer

system is viewed as a key element in making the center attractive to

commercial tenants. The town sewer system now under construction is scheduled

to be completed by October 1997. The shopping center will have access to the

sewer system.

The 65,000-square-foot Big Y World Class Market prototype was developed for a

store on Boston Road in Springfield which opened in September 1993.

The market houses grocery, frozen foods and dairy departments, plus a food

court with an eat-in cafe area. The modern store sells fresh pizza, cappucino,

espresso, fresh baked goods, plus many other items, according to Big Y.

Big Y Foods, Inc., a family owned and operated chain of 35 stores, has

locations in central and western Masssachusetts, as well as 10 stores in

Connecticut. It was founded in 1936 by the brothers Paul and Gerald D'Amour.

The company employs more than 6,000 people.