Expanded Naugatuck Walmart May be Open 24 Hours

There’s another perk to Walmart’s plan to expand its Naugatuck store another 23,000 square feet.

The new store may be open 24 hours.

That’s the plan at least, which continues to gain approval through the official process in the borough. On Tuesday, the Naugatuck Police Commission will vote on accepting the national superstore’s plan for Walmart to change its hours of operation to 24-hours.

Walmart spokesman Alexandra Serra Dostie said in an e-mail it's not clear if the store will be open 24 hours at this time.

"We have to go through the necessary approval process and will then make a determination," Dostie wrote in an e-mail.

Walmart got approve from the Zoning Commission late last year to add a wing to its . Apart from regular retail merchandise the new Super Walmart, as the stores are commonly titled, will also sell groceries and produce. This is something that has been often cited as a need in that region after .

Walmart officials have said construction , with the new Super Walmart not fully open until the summer 2012. Walmart would remain open during the construction process, .

Already, the change to make the store 24 hours has gone through land use offices over the past few months. The Police Commission is the next step, which has to approve whether the plan has an impact on public safety in the borough, said Chairman Steven Smith.

Smith said it’s likely the plan will get approve from the Police Commission when it meets at 7 p.m. at the Naugatuck Police Department. The commission’s concerns lied mostly with traffic issues on New Haven Road, Smith said, however he noted traffic is not much of an issue after 11 p.m.

“I don’t see any problems with (the plan),” Smith said. “I think the subcommittee that reviews it was already to approve it last month.”

Last month, however, Walmart didn’t show up at the meeting so the item was tabled, he said.

Editor's Note: We have corrected this article to reflect the fact that Walmart still is determining whether the store will be open 24 hours. While its plan is moving through the official borough process, a company spokesman said Walmart hasn't made a determination at this time. This has been added into the article.