Wal-Mart begins Super expansion

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A portion of Wal-Mart’s parking lot has been fenced off as construction on a 23,000-square-foot addition begins. LARAINE WESCHLER

NAUGATUCK — Construction on a 23,000-square-foot addition to Wal-Mart at 1100 New Haven Road is underway.

The town has issued all the permits for the project according to Building Inspector Bill Herzman.

The expansion, approved by the Zoning Commission last January, will turn the store into a Super Wal-Mart with a full grocery store.

“I think customers will be delighted. We’ve had a lot of interest in the expansion,” Wal-Mart spokesperson Bill Wertz said.

Site work is beginning now and the initial phase of construction will concentrate on renovating the pharmacy, Herzman said. He said Wal-Mart plans to start the addition to the building after the holidays in January.

The work will hopefully be completed by next October, according to store manager Leslie Cook.

The addition to the building will make the building’s total footprint 147,000-square-feet, according to Wertz.
He said the construction shouldn’t impact customers’ shopping experience.

“We are very experienced at his kind of expansion and we do our best to minimize any inconvenience to our customers,” Wertz said.

Construction isn’t expected to substantially impact traffic on New Haven Road as Wal-Mart removes 1,200 cubic yards of material from the site and brings in other materials for building.

Along with approval for the expansion, the Zoning Commission granted permission for the store to be open 24 hours a day. Wertz said Wal-Mart stores typically operate 24-7 if permitted. The store is currently open between 7 a.m. and midnight.