ShopRite: 'No Confirmed Plans' for East Haven

UPDATE at 10:05 a.m.

The agreement that would bring in Hobby Lobby to fill the soon-to-be vacating HomeGoods in East Haven has not yet been completed, according to Michael Schaffer of C.A. White.

C.A. White is the New Haven-based company that manages the T.J. Maxx Shopping Center along Frontage Road where the store front is located.

"We are engaged in negotiations with Hobby Lobby and have not yet finalized the deal," Schaffer told East Haven Patch in an email this morning.

ORIGINAL STORY (Thursday at 5:55 a.m.)

ShopRite may be opening a new store in , but company officials are keeping mum about it.

During his last week, Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr announced that a new ShopRite supermarket would be opening up in the former A&P Supermarket store front along Route 80 in Foxon.

The , at 745 Foxon Road, in October 2010.

'Nothing That's Definite'

But when asked about a time frame for the new store to open in that spot, ShopRite spokesperson Santina Stankevich told East Haven Patch that nothing has been set in stone yet.

"We have no confirmed plans at this time," Stankevich said Wednesday afternoon.

She added that the company is "always looking for new locations."

And that ShopRite is, indeed, "interested in serving the East Haven and Branford communities" with a new supermarket.

"But there's nothing that's definite or confirmed for East Haven," Stankevich said.

Both Mayor Maturo and Art DeSorbo, the town's economic development coordinator, were out of the Mayor's Office late Wednesday afternoon and unavailable for comment at that time. A message for DeSorbo was not immediately returned.

Hobby Lobby

In addition to the ShopRite, Maturo also announced last week that Hobby Lobby — an arts, crafts and home supplies superstore chain — would be moving into the Frontage Road store front that will soon be vacated by .

HomeGoods it would be closing and moving its East Haven store to a new location in Milford.

The T.J. Maxx Shopping Center along Frontage Road where HomeGoods is now located is managed by C.A. White.

East Haven Patch contacted the management company late Wednesday afternoon looking to confirm Hobby Lobby's plans to open a new store here, as well as a time frame for that move.

A late Wednesday afternoon phone message and email were not immediately returned.