The town of Bloomfield has approved a plan to bring a major grocer to town.
While, detractors may call it corporate welfare by giving companies money to move their business, others say it's about bringing a Trader Joe's warehouse to Bloomfield say it's all about the jobs.
The distribution center would be built on Phoenix Crossing in Bloomfield and was approved by the town council on Monday.
The national grocery store chain is considering building the $78.5 million dollar facility in exchange for a tax abatement from the town that will save the company about $600,000 dollars per year.
"If you really want to be competitive, you have no choice but to play the game," said Bloomfield Director of Planning and Economic Development Jose Giner.
Giner said he understands the debate in his town and throughout the state and country about using taxpayer dollars to entice companies. But he said the prospect of filling many of the 675 jobs at the new facility with Bloomfield residents is worth it, when considering competition with other states.
"Our unemployment rate is higher than Connecticut and the region as a whole so I think this will be a good positive for the town," Giner said.
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People from Bloomfield, including Elyse Tucker, agreed, when asked about the new facility.
"It might bring jobs or something like that so it would be ok with me," Tucker said.
Bloomfield had been accused of not being transparent enough on the deal to bring Niagara Bottling to Bloomfield. Giner said they learned lessons from that experience and did a better job on the Trader Joe's deal.
"In this case we did have four meetings where the public had a full chance to speak up on the possible tax abatements," he said.
As for timing, the town says Trader Joe's could break ground as soon as the spring, once the ground thaws.
