Salvation Army Retreat Leaves Vernon Plaza About Half Empty

VERNON, CT — The retreat of the Salvation Army into the retail sunset at a Route 30 plaza leaves the shopping center about half empty.

And town officials said there are no immediate prospects to fill it up.

The plaza sits at 295 Hartford Turnpike and stores like Ocean State Job Lot, Town Fair Tire and the Ninety-Nine restaurant are thriving. Next to Town Fair sat the Salvation Army thrift store.

That is, until recently. This week, the marquee sign was gone and not a speck of dust was seemingly left inside the store. A pair of hand-made signs on red construction paper simply said the store was "closed permanently."

The Salvation Army Released the following statement:

"The first priority of the store was to raise funds to continue offering rehabilitation programs to people in need at no cost, but current circumstances have made supporting these programs through this store impossible.

"The Salvation Army regularly reviews the financial performance of its stores, services, and programs to ensure maximum efficiency and available offerings are discontinued only when absolutely necessary. Despite closing down shop at its Vernon location, The Salvation Army stresses that assistance for financial hardship and a variety of other life issues will continue to be available through their service office located at 217 Washington Street, Hartford, CT, and other area stores, including locations in Danbury, Newington, Hamden, Bridgeport, and West Hartford.

"The store also worked in concert with The Salvation Army’s social services office, providing clothing, furniture and bargain goods to families in need through a cooperative voucher system.
Now that the store is closing, The Salvation Army’s Hartford Corps location will work to fill the void.

"The Salvation Army would like to thank the people of Vernon for their understanding during this time of transition and for all of their support over the last nine years."

The Salvation Army vacating its space is an other chapter in the topsy-turvy history of the plaza. The thrift store moved in there in 2015 after the Salvation Army sold its Union Street location across from Maple Street School to the town. It then occupied the Route 30 plaza for nearly a decade.

Fast-forward four-to-five years to a see-saw of business movement.

In June 2019, KMart announced it was closing. A year later, the last remnants of the once-mighty discount chain were removed. In August 2020, Ocean State Job Lot took over the vacancy after pouncing on the opportunity to expand there.

A month earlier, the popular Ann & Hope bath and decor outlet made a surprise announcement that is was leaving the plaza.

Also in 2020, Wang's Buffet opened, closed, re-opened than quietly faded into an abyss. Town officials quipped that they simply lost track of what the plans were there.

All the vacancies are in succession, south of the Town Fair Tire location.

Vernon Director of Development Services and Economic Development Shaun Gately said there have been some inquiries about the plaza, but nothing concrete has come from them.

A representative from Northeast Retail Leasing and Management Company could not be reached for immediate comment on the Salvation Army move or the future of the plaza.