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Russell Stewart misses the convenience most of all. As recently as six years ago, he did all of his grocery shopping within a two-minute walk of his Fairfield Woods Road home at what was then Stratfield Supermarket. Now all he sees across the street is an empty white building.
Everybodys going to tell you we want our market back, said Stewart. I used to be able to walk across the street and get whatever I needed.
In 2006, Walgreens pharmacy signed a 20-year lease with the buildings owner, Samuel Lothstein Realty LLC. The national chain planned to replace Stratfield Supermarket, a local grocery store that had been at the location in different incarnations for 50 years. After a series of complaints from neighbors, the Fairfield Plan and Zoning Commission denied Walgreens application to move in.
After losing an appeal in state Superior Court in Bridgeport in 2009, Walgreens took its final appeal to the state Appellate Court on Tuesday afternoon in Hartford. The court could take months to render its final decision.
If Walgreens loses its appeal, the chain would have two options. But the neighbors that offered opinions Tuesday all had the same preference bring back a locally owned grocery store. It was such a convenient store, said Linda DeStefano, another neighbor. We met everybody in the neighborhood there.
Even Joe Dcosta said hed like to see a grocery store in the space, even though he runs a competitor across the street, Jo-Jos News Stop. Dcosta took over the convenience store after Stratfield Supermarket moved out. But since taking it over, he has been trying to start a grocery delivery service for senior citizens. Theres a lot of complexes in the neighborhood, and a lot of elderly people, Dcosta said. For the necessities like bread, milk, butter, for them to go out of their way is very inconvenient.
Stewart, however, was alone among his neighbors on one issue. Though hed prefer a grocery store, he said Tuesday he wouldnt mind if Walgreens won its appeal. Look at the building its starting to fall apart, Stewart said. If its not going to be a Walgreens, get something in there.
What would you like to see move into the old Stratfield Supermarket space? Would you prefer Walgreens to an empty store? Start the conversation in the comments below.
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