The future closure of one of Torrington’s Stop & Shop is concerning to residents and the city alike, many saying it is the only wide-selection grocery store and pharmacy downtown.
“I don’t drive at all, it's hard for me even to go over there - I can't even walk,” Douglas Drake said.
He lives in Torrington Towers, an apartment complex that is 900 feet away. Drake said he can only go shopping if he finds a ride, saying the convenient location is helpful when doing so.
“I just was trying to figure out, where am I going to get food?” Drake said.
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“The Towers is suffering the most I think, cause a lot of these people don’t have cars and can hardly walk to the store," he continued.
Resident Ted Zelinsky agrees, saying he's lucky he can drive - noting many of his fellow residents cannot.
In a statement to NBC Connecticut, Stop & Shop says:
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"We acknowledge the impact this store’s closure may have on the Torrington community. Our team has reached out to city leadership to discuss these concerns. Please understand that the decision to close this store did not come lightly. Our team evaluated the store’s overall performance, and it was no longer sustainable for us to continue to operate this location.
Stop & Shop is very thankful for the support of all our customers at the High Street location, and we are committed to continuing to serve the Torrington community through our nearby store at 931 Torringford Street. Our incredible team of associates at High Street will continue to be a part of our Stop & Shop community and will be offered opportunities at other Stop & Shop locations."
“If shoppers want to reach that broad scale, they’ll have to do it at multiple locations downtown which presents its own challenges,” William Wallach of Torrington’s Economic Development Department said.
He said the city is working with Northwestern Connecticut Transit to see if they could service rides to the other Stop & Shop. Northwestern Connecticut Transit tells us they're also looking into front door service to the other location.
“Reformulating how transportation is going to work in Torrington to get access to a larger scale grocery services that aren’t necessarily downtown,” Wallach said.
The Stop & Shop employees are going to transfer to another location, but Wallach said making sure they have transportation to their new jobs is a concern, too.
It’s a change -- the city and residents alike -- will be adjusting to.
“You got 200 people, let's say, in the apartment building, and not including the people that live around here that depend on that store,” Zelensky said.
As for what's next for this space in the plaza, the city said they'll be working with the developer to try to find something that benefits the downtown area.
