Private School Planned For Long-Vacant Property In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — The long-vacant former IGA supermarket building in the Stratfield Village neighborhood will become home to a private preschool later this year. The Goddard School, which provides a comprehensive play-based curriculum for children 6 weeks to 6 years old, signed a 15-year lease with Summit Development of Southport which recently acquired the former retail property at 1280 Stratfield Road.

Goddard plans to convert the 9,700-square-foot free-standing building into its newest location which it hopes to open Sept. 1, according to a press release. Monroe Partners is the architect. Brett Sherman, Senior Vice President of Angel Commercial real estate of Southport, represented Summit in acquiring the property.

Headed by local resident Felix Charney, Summit specializes in creative new uses and repurposing opportunities for underutilized properties both large and small. Over the last four decades, Summit has developed nearly 100 properties representing 7 million square feet in communities across Connecticut, New York and in Florida. Last fall Charney made news acquiring the 1.2 million-square-foot former Union Carbide headquarters in Danbury, which he is repurposing for office, residential and related retail and service uses.

For more than 50 years the newest Goddard location, which is zoned for childcare use, was home to the Stratfield Market, a neighborhood grocer that closed in 2006. In the years since the nearly 1-acre property at the corner of Fairfield Woods Road has remained vacant. A Walgreen’s was proposed for the site, but the use was ultimately turned down by the town.

Fairfield Director of Economic Development Mark Barnhart said that over the years attempts to find a new grocery user were unsuccessful. At one point responding to another proposal, the Town Planning and Zoning Commission amended the permitted uses to include child care. While that plan never moved forward, the use is now permitted.

Charney said the Goddard School will be an excellent addition to the community and the perfect use for the location. He said he plans to work cooperatively with the Stratfield Village Association (SVA) as the design of the school is developed to ensure the new school building and the Four Corners Project complement each other.

The Association is a certified 501 c3 non-profit which recently received a $650,000 grant from the State of Connecticut for the Four Corners Project, which focuses on streetscape and pedestrian improvements to the intersection of Fairfield Woods Road and Stratfield Road (Route 59) where the school will be located.

Jamie McCusker, Co-President of the Association, said “The Four Corners is at the heart of our neighborhood and we look forward to working Felix Charney to help improve and revitalize the area. Summit has a great track record of owning and developing beautiful properties and we are excited by the potential of having a Summit property in our neighborhood.”

Goddard has 460 schools in 36 states with a total enrollment of 65,000 children. Founded in 1988, the school is based in King of Prussia, PA. There are 10 locations in Connecticut.

Contributed press release and image