New Haven Independent

Staples Moving Out; Bruegger’s Moving In

by Paul Bass | October 20, 2009 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

Two anchors are pulling out from the downtown end of Whalley Avenue, while at the other end bagels are returning to a long-vacant spot.

Bruegger’s Bagels plans to open a new bakery-restaurant the first week of December at 1448 Whalley, according to company CEO Jim Greco. It will inhabit the home of the former Westville Kosher Bakery in the plaza at the juncture of Route 69. The kosher bakery closed in 2006; the spot has been vacant ever since.

Meanwhile, the Staples office products store at 84 Whalley has announced it’s closing Nov. 21.

Company spokesperson Amy Shanler declined to give a reason; she said the 11 in-store “associates” at 84 Whalley are being offered jobs at the four other Staples stores within a six-mile radius.

The Staples move has generated speculation and concern because the Rite Aid next door at 60 Whalley closed last month. Both properties are owned by Whalley Avenue Associates, a limited partnership formerly run by New York real estate developer Martin Berger. Berger sold it to a New York surgeon named Monquidh Al-Sawaaf.

Leaders of the Whalley Special Services District and the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) have been trying without success to obtain a sit-down with the Al-Sawaaf or to find out his plans for the two prime properties at the gateway to the Whalley commercial corridor.

Staples was making money and “didn’t want to move,” said Sheila Masterson of the special services district. The company was on a month-to-month lease, which the landlord chose not to renew, Masterson said. (Staples’ Shanler would not confirm or deny that claim.)

“We do seem to think the decision was not Staples’ decision,” said EDC Executive Director Michelle Whelley. “We’re concerned. Any time you have a lack of communication, you’re concerned.”

Whelley’s organization has worked closely with the Whalley Avenue Special Services District this past year to plot a commercial comeback. She said she has asked repeatedly for information about plans for the property. Her group wants to meet with the owner to discuss what’s happening on the avenue, as well, she said. “We will continue to try” to get a meeting, she said.

Reached by phone in New York, Al-Sawaaf referred questions about the properties’ future to Dan Charest, the operating and leasing manager. He also said he’s sure Charest would be “happy” to meet with the Whalley business groups.

“Nobody wishes anything bad for that neighborhood,” Al-Sawaaf said. “If business people have suggestions, bring it to the table. I’m sure Dan will listen to every single one.”

Charest, also reached at the New Hartford office of his Acre Group, denied that Staples wanted to stay in its current spot. He declined to offer details about the nature of its lease.

“Tenants don’t leave unless the market is not supporting them,” he said. “The market has not supported them.”

Charest said there are no plans to raze the existing buildings to pursue a new development. Rather, he’s trying to fill both stores with new tenants, he said. He said he’s currently “talking a number of parties” interested in moving in.

He said he’s happy to sit down with the EDC and special service district to talk about the plans: “Absolutely, I’d love to meet with them.”

Kosher Future?

At 1448 Whalley, Bruegger’s is preparing for its December move. The bakery-restaurant will bring the number of Bruegger’s outlets nationwide to close to 300, according to CEO Greco, who lives in Cheshire. The company had 240 outlets when his company bought it six years ago.

Bruegger’s does not at first plan to have kosher certification for the new Whalley outlet, Greco said. The city’s Jewish community mourned the passing of kosher-supervised Westville Bakery, which had been in business for 34 years at various locations.

Bruegger’s does have a few kosher-certified bakeries elsewhere, Greco said. But, he noted, it’s a complicated process.

“We would like to do that” in Westville, he said. “It’s often difficult given the product selection that we have.”

So at first the outlet will not have supervision, but Bruegger’s plans to make overnight deliveries from a kosher outlet in upstate New York to test the demand, Greco said.

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Comments

Posted by: jawbone | October 20, 2009 12:33 PM

The service at the Bruegger's at the corner of Grove and Church is abysmal. Every time I go in that location they have a whole new set of clueless employees.
Bruegger's product is smaller and more expensive than anything offered by the locally owned bakeries. Support the locals, not the national chains.
Bruegger's wouldn't last in Manhattan for one New York minute. You want an bagel? Try Bagel Buffet on 6th Ave. between 13th and 14h. NOW that's a bagel!

Posted by: Been Called Worse | October 20, 2009 1:18 PM

Rite Aid would make a *great* location for a laundromat, methinks.

Posted by: JOHN | October 20, 2009 2:03 PM

Jawbone,

I second your sentiment in general. But for a part of town that could certainly support it, no independent bagelry has stepped up to fill the demand. Bruegger's will be fine and a welcome addition, provided that they keep the place nice and friendly, and (yes) with more attentive, less spacey service than the one downtown at Grove and Church. Much better than the empty storefront.

Posted by: lance | October 20, 2009 2:46 PM

it's "Monqidh". Any chance he'll be reopening the westville kosher bakery? :)

Posted by: jawbone | October 20, 2009 3:44 PM

John,
Agreed. Almost anything is better than an empty storefront.
One question though. A Bruegger's needs about a quarter of the space than the Staples store currently encloses. What are they going to do with the rest of the building? The methadone clinic that they won't be building in Fair Haven?
Dag, I wanted that clinic in the old Circuit City in North Haven.

Posted by: anon | October 20, 2009 4:30 PM

The site (RA & Staples combined) would be a perfect site for Yale's 15th and 16th residential colleges.

Having a mixed-use, high density program on this site, with many residences, would be the best option for revitalizing Whalley.

Posted by: Westville Girl | October 20, 2009 6:17 PM

Jawbone,
The Bruegger's isn't going in where Staples is currently, it's replacing the Westville Bakery on upper Whalley, near A-1 Toyota, Walgreens and the junction of Routes 63, 69 and the Wilbur Cross.

Posted by: angelo | October 20, 2009 7:24 PM

So, Jawbone, we shouldn't go to Brueggers because we can get a better bagel in NYC? Uh, well, okay -it could be worse - at least you kept it on this planet

Posted by: Norton Street | October 20, 2009 7:25 PM

Anon, you're a genius!

Although, ideally I'd like to see a mixed use development of diverse, dense 3-5 story wood and brick facade buildings that line the sidewalk. But if it meant the Mansfield/Prospect Triangle could be saved, I would much rather give up those two boxes on Whalley Ave, the design could probably even bring some retail to the street as part of the colleges.

Posted by: Get Real | October 20, 2009 8:11 PM

If their was money in it Staples and Al Sawaaf would have worked something out. Another business quits as taxes are too high. All this conspiracy theory he said she said is just a smokescreen. ...

Posted by: weekender | October 20, 2009 10:24 PM

Bagel friends: Remember that Lender's bagels started in New Haven --one of the first bagel bakeries to exist outside of NYC. Yet another New Haven first. Although they are more known for their frozen/supermarket products now, and bake in many other far flung places, maybe it's time for a local fresh comeback? Total market for it. Anyone know the family?

Posted by: jeffreykerekes | October 21, 2009 7:19 AM

I have to agree with Norton Street that Anon is onto something. this is an intriguing idea. It would reduce pressure on people wanting to turn the cemetery into a pedestrian highway. I think the current site, has some merit as well, so I am not convinced but it is something to think about.

Posted by: Ned | October 21, 2009 8:37 AM

New Haven needs a VIP store.

Posted by: john | October 21, 2009 8:59 AM

@Jawbone:

Dag, I wanted that clinic in the old Circuit City in North Haven.

Ha! A comment after my own heart!

Posted by: Pedro | October 21, 2009 9:22 AM

Anon, Jeff and Norton Street, that's really a fantastic idea, but take it from someone who has been fighting this project, Yale is hell-bent on that site, and they have been for years. They don't want urban towers, they want neo-collegiate gothic and moats on a ginormous scale.

Ideally I'd love to see a redevelopment of that block to something other than the bleak boxes that are there, but hopefully for the time being Mr. Al-Sawaaf will bring in some decent tenants.

While convenient, that Staples was a pretty badly run store with poor service and even worse hours compared to the suburban ones.

Posted by: sjbj | October 21, 2009 11:39 AM

Too late, anon, Yale has already begun demolition on the site behind the cemetary. It's a shame.

Posted by: anon's brother | October 21, 2009 2:12 PM

to defend anon's comments - he didn't want the site for the 13th and 14th colleges, which are behind the cemetery, but for its next expansion... which isn't on the schedule...

how can we get some mixed-use development going in there? that'd be great!

Posted by: Alex | October 21, 2009 2:52 PM

This really sucks - the Dixwell neighborhood needs it and jobs provided. Should make 2nd effort to keep Staples there. I believe Staples wrongly thinks inner city people not their market. Where's the mayor on this?

Posted by: Anon | October 21, 2009 3:01 PM

The staples closing is a major inconvenience for me as a bike rider. We bike riders are very sensitive to and aware of outlets for needed every day items -- groceries, office supply, stuff we use every day.

Maybe I will print this out and take it to the guy who just opened the printing place in the plaza where Edge of the Woods is. He is not into office supply really, and has one self-serve copier with higher prices. He does printing jobs. But maybe he will reconsider and expand a bit.

I needed Staples for ink, paper, pens and copying jobs. After these chains put local full office supply stories out of business, they then close, leaving us with nothing. A city with 120K people where you have to drive to the suburbs to find a full service office supply is ridiculous.

Posted by: anon | October 22, 2009 2:57 PM

Lots of anons here, but yeah, the site would be great for the next round of Yale expansion, not the current one which is already underway.

Hammond Hall just came down today!

I agree with the other anon that chains can suck a city dry. It's not really the chains themselves, its the fluidity of the global capital behind them. We need local capitalization and investment, not continued dislocation and disjuncture.

Posted by: Toni | October 27, 2009 6:52 PM

Yeah- let's give more prime property to Yale. After all, New Haven obviously can't think of anything useful to do and Yale is just full of great ideas to benefit..... Yale!

Posted by: OWheeler | December 6, 2009 6:18 PM

Hey! If you guys are interested in polling New Haven take this very short and concise survey! Hopefully we'll see what New Haven wants and what the Whalley Ave. residents want!

Staples Moving Out; Bruegger’s Moving In

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