The Stop & Shop on Madison Avenue is scheduled to close at the end of business day September 20. What will replace it? The decision to shut down stunned just about everyone including many North End neighbors who warmed up to the store after opposing its construction 15 years ago in a heavy residential area.
Land records show the property located at 2600 Madison Avenue is owned by 2500 SS Limited Partnership with a business address 1720 Post Road in Fairfield, the location of Ceruzzi Properties operated by Louis Ceruzzi, a commercial real estate developer who has partnered with Fairfield-based United Properties on multiple business interests throughout the years. United Properties, led by Alfred Lenoci Sr., took the lead in proposing the super store that was approved by the Planning & Zoning Commission following a series of sizzling zoning hearings.
The Stop & Shop property will generate $330,935 in real estate taxes this year. Personal property taxes represent $41,232.
The Bridgeport rumor making the rounds centers on Sacred Heart University considering the location for dormitories to accommodate its expanding student body. SHU has a love-hate relationship with the city. The college campus proper is located in Fairfield on Park Avenue, but many of its student residents live across the way in Bridgeport including a dormitory located in the state’s largest city. Rowdy college students have been a source of concern for residents of the North End. Is the Stop & Shop location a realistic spot for SHU dorms that would require a bus ride, albeit short, to the school?
It’s enough of a concern that several City Council members have notified zoning and development officials there’s going to be a battle if this is pursued. The heavy residential area includes a number of condominium complexes. What if SHU proposes condominium dorms that reflect the character of the neighborhood? The city will want its pound of flesh well beyond the payment in lieu of taxes that state statute grants educational institutions such as what a private condo complex would generate in taxes.
Stop & Shop also has Bridgeport stores on Main Street in the North End and Fairfield Avenue in the West End. The Madison Avenue property is on the former Dewhirst Dairy site. In the mid 1990s, former City Councilman Tom White was among many neighbors who vehemently opposed the super store in a heavy residential area. The city’s Planning & Zoning Commission approved the site for development. Years later two principals of United Properties would enter guilty pleas to unrelated charges in the federal probe of former Mayor Joe Ganim. The Stop & Shop zoning matter was the reason federal authorities began a municipal investigation.
First of all, given the other characters already identified, I’ll put my money on Chuck Willinger as being attorney of record. Chuck will first propose four 15-story buildings. Then he will cut back to three and then to two. If that doesn’t fly, he will find an imaginary loophole in the FPV replacement program and propose 150 low-income housing units.
Then it will be a used-car lot (DiNardo’s) or an asphalt manufacturing facility or possibly a medical burn incinerator or a construction storage facility or maybe a scrap metal yard. How about the state’s largest halfway house? Look out NJ; CT is in the game.
Finally he will go down to one very large four-story dorm and these same council members will brag about what a great job they did protecting the neighborhood.
No more FPV replacement money … Although I’m sure HUD would approve anything in the North End!
This whole thing just stinks to high heaven!
I’m just hoping they keep the existing structure and a new store comes in the North End could use.
I’m soOoOoO opposed to anything SHU related! There’s already enough of those kids packed into homes on quiet Bridgeport streets, drunk driving, raucous parties all down Madison Ave. It’s ridiculous!
Wonders never cease. You actually said something that made sense and wasn’t backing Finch. You can bet Finch will approve something for SHU since SHU is an unofficial part of the BRBC cabal that calls the shots in Bridgeport. What SHU wants SHU gets even though as far as I am concerned they contribute little to this city. And though once a decent commuter school, it is now a mediocre school that is a sleepover camp for wealthy spoiled brats.
The first question that needs to be asked is why would Stop&Shop close a profitable store and leave a less productive store located less that 1-1/2 miles away open.
The second question is how has Stop&Shop benefited by this closing.
We know Sacred Heart is a bad neighbor and could care less about Bridgeport. They need more housing so that the university can expand.
We know Fairfield does not want these high-rise dorms in its town, it puts a strain on their services (police, fire etc.).
We know Madison Ave. is now rated as a Main Corridor under the new Master plan and thus the 35 ft in height can be waived and a high rise built.
Now there could be a deal in the works where the city still gets its full value in taxes and then the administration can claim they fought to keep the taxes down by cutting this deal. The developers win, SHU wins and the people in the North End get screwed.
We know the last administration and this administration have bent over backwards to not enforce Fire Safety rules by allowing too many people to reside in single-family homes. We know the PD has avoided arresting the partying students who raise hell in single-family dwellings.
While there is no formal proposal out publicly, this is the only proposal that makes sense for the closing of SS.
So where is Finch on this? Where is Hennessy on this? Where is Russo on this? Who is the city council member from this area? Tom White was taken to task over his opposition in the 1990s and paid dearly for his efforts.
How many jobs are lost? Lots of questions, no answers, no political support.
To clarify a couple of factual issues:
I think “Bob” means Musto, not Russo.
On a square-foot basis Main St. may be more profitable than Madison Ave. If you recall S&S tore down and rebuilt Main St. after Madison Ave. opened–and Madison Ave. didn’t make sense after S&S acquired Finast. We tried to get Blumenthal to stop S&S on Madison Ave. saying the two stores were too close. Demographically, people East of Main St. will go to Brookside but not necessarily the Madison Ave. location–and even Easton suburbanites will go to Brookside. Fairfielders going to Madison Ave. will now go to Tunxis Hill.
While dense housing might be proposed for the site, apartments and condo construction I think would require a zone change. An apartment building would be allowed as of right now because the property is zoned commercial, similar to the Hillview switch that occurred.
I would hope for some creativity. Convert the property to an office complex similar to the Pantry Pride property in Fairfield, currently it’s a large box with limited uses.
I don’t think the economics are correct for a tear down and rebuild of residential housing–apt or condo–right now.
The more looming issue will be the potential eyesore the property will be once empty.
And PLEASE turn off the signal light on Madison Ave. once the store is closed.
You see, you need tenants for an office building, tenants come and tenants go. With a high-rise dorm you have a captive tenant and a steady income.
Great idea. Something that would bring employment to Bridgeport besides jobs washing dishes or pushing a broom in a condo!
Thanks … I had forgotten the forgotten state senator who shows up when it is convenient … like the rest of those mentioned.
Maybe a medical office center for Bridgeport Hospital?
ANYTHING would be better than a concentration of those drunken yuppy SHU kids!
Based upon some inquiry of knowledgeable people I would not worry about SHU wanting to build there–but I would not rule out a developer similar to the disreputable one that built the Hillview area apartments. I also know SHU was not happy with the Hillview apartment complex–they would prefer to control properties where a large number of students live.
Community beware: The current owner is negotiating with SHU. SHU wants the property for more student housing.
I talked to a VP at SHU who said they have already been approached and said no thank you.
I heard DiNardo wants the property for a new rendering plant or a halfway house.
*** Ideal spot for a much-needed “non-profit” place of worship in the North End so they can catch up in spirit with some of the other districts in Bpt, no? *** HERE WE GO, BROTHERS AND SISTERS! ***