ANSONIA – Key Food will open a grocery store in the Ansonia Shopping Center in the heart of downtown, according to the center’s new owners.
The Key Food store will take up about 37,000 square feet of retail space “and serve as a primary anchor, delivering a much-needed full-service grocery option to the community,” according to a press release from Zelco Properties & Development.
Zelco announced last week that it had purchased the Ansonia Shopping Center for $8.4 million in a joint venture with The Grossman Companies.
Downtown Ansonia has lacked a grocery store since Big Y relocated to Derby in 2019. The Stop & Shop on Pershing Drive closed in 2024.
However, Dan Zelson, a principal at Zelco, said Key Food is just the start for the plaza’s new future.
“The community deserves a thriving center like this, and we are committed to delivering it. We look forward to sharing further announcements in the weeks ahead,” the press release quotes Zelson as saying.
Key Food will be a little more than half the size of the Big Y which formerly anchored the plaza (the Big Y was about 65,000 square feet). Key Food has about 15 locations throughout Connecticut and recently announced another store opening in Shelton, according to reporting from CT Insider.
Asher Zelson, a spokesman for Zelco, said that Marshalls/HomeGoods will also be expanding, with each one to occupy a full store.
“HomeGoods will take 25K (square feet) next to Key Food and Marshalls will remain in their existing space (35K SF),” he wrote in an email.
The shopping center is located at 403 – 495 Main St. and 75 Tremont St.
Reaction
Ansonia Mayor Frank Tyszka said he had been wanting to see a new grocery store come into downtown Ansonia.
“I’m extremely happy, I’m excited. I was pushing for this with a couple other people,” Tyszka said.
He said he’s still waiting to see paperwork relating to the property sale, since it hadn’t been filed with the town clerk’s office as of May 21.
State Rep. Kara Rochelle, who represents Ansonia and part of Derby, wrote in a comment that the development is exciting to see.
“A Key Foods, Marshalls expanding to its full space, and HomeGoods opening a full store as well. Love it!” Rochelle said.
At an economic development commission meeting May 21, members briefly discussed the new development. Acting chairman Jim Smith said the grocery store is “great news for Ansonia.”
“It’ll be interesting to see what happens going forward,” Smith said.