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Plans for Former Benny’s Plaza Unveiled

Changes may be soon coming to the former Benny’s Plaza. The plaza’s owners met with the Zoning Commission earlier this month to expand on future plans — including a formal application for a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods which is expected to be filed later this year.

The Carpionato Group, owners of the plaza located at 1654 Boston Post Road, met with the Commission on Oct. 3, after a late August announcement that the supermarket chain Whole Foods had signed a lease to open an Old Saybrook location in the plaza. While no applications have been filed yet, the Carpionato Group said it expects to file an application by the end of November or early December.

In its discussion with the Zoning Commission, Group member Dave Taglianetti explained that the plaza expects to house a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods location An additional 30,000 to 31,000 square feet will be allocated for other tenants. NAPA Auto parts and Alforno Trattoria, both current plaza tenants, will be retained but may be moved into the 30,000-square-foot subdivision.

According toTaglianetti, property upgrades, including a new façade and increased landscaping in the parking lot, are also expected. The parking lot will be reconfigured to accommodate Whole Food’s parking demand which calls for 240 parking spaces.

“The only way we can get them to sign the lease is to promise them 240 spaces,” said Taglianetti.

The addition of a Whole Foods to Old Saybrook would likely be a welcome move. Whole Foods is a popular grocery store chain that has long been sought after by residents of several towns along the shoreline. A spokesperson for Whole Foods confirmed to the Harbor News in late August that the company was interested in an Old Saybrook location. The space used to be home to Benny’s, a department store chain that went out of business in 2017. Taglianetti said the Carpionato group has helped redevelop 15 former Benny’s properties since then.

Earlier this year, First Selectman Carl Fortuna said that the Benny’s location has been empty for about two or three years and said he was excited by the prospect of redevelopment.

“The former Benny’s Plaza is in dire need of renovation, so obviously to have a company like Whole Foods have interest in taking that space is a huge positive,” said Fortuna at the time.

Over the years as major development began in nearby towns like Clinton or Branford, many residents of those towns expressed a hope that Whole Foods would go into those spaces. With the opening of an Old Saybrook location, there will finally be a closer option for people along the eastern portion of the shoreline. The nearest Whole Foods from Old Saybrook required drives to Milford, Glastonbury, or West Hartford so the addition of Whole Foods to Old Saybrook will likely be a welcome one for Old Saybrook residents as well as visitors from other towns.