Norwalk is getting the first Connecticut location of the Wegmans supermarket chain, a company like local grocer Stew Leonard’s that inspires devotion in its shoppers.
The store will replace an 11-acre flex-industrial property at 47 Richards Ave., next to a Costco, Bowlero Norwalk and just off the Connecticut Turnpike near the Norwalk-Darien Line.
The property is currently occupied by consumer products company MBI Inc., which plans to sell the property to Wegmans and relocate elsewhere in Norwalk to make way for the new supermarket. The announcement from Wegmans did not indicate where MBI will be headed with more specificity.
“We are excited by the opportunity that this sale of our property to Wegmans presents,” Peter Maglathlin, CEO and President of MBI, said in a statement. “Although our current building has served us well over the past several decades, the chance to relocate to modern office space while still keeping our headquarters in Norwalk offers unique advantages to our company and our employees.”
The 2-story Wegmans store will be approximately 95,000 square feet and will also include a 2-story parking garage. A timeline for construction and opening has not yet been determined, as the company is currently seeking municipal approvals for the project.
“Each year we receive hundreds of requests from residents for a store in Connecticut, so we’re excited to bring Wegmans to Norwalk and to get to know our new neighbors,” Wegmans Food Markets President and CEO Colleen Wegman said in a statement. “Even before we open the doors to our new store, we’re committed to making a difference in every community we serve.”
In business since 1916, Wegmans now operates 106 stores in seven states and has more than 50,000 employees chainwide.