Work starting soon on Chick-fil-A at Shelton's Fountain Square

SHELTON — Residents longing for a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich with a side of waffle fries take heart. Company officials have confirmed that the popular eatery will make Fountain Square — the development at 801 Bridgeport Ave. at the intersection with Parrott Drive — its home in the coming months. Construction is set to begin this spring, according to Caroline Taylor, representative from Chick-fil-A, Inc., but there is no specific opening date set. “It’s our pleasure to confirm that we will be opening our first Chick-fil-A restaurant in the Shelton area,” Taylor said. “We look forward to joining this community and having the opportunity to introduce guests to our delicious food.” Work on Fountain Square — which remained dormant for more than a year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 — began again in earnest last fall. Panera Bread and Metro Mattress were the first tenants to open their doors this past summer. The site was formerly occupied by the United Illuminating Co. Late last year, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved an amendment to the its already approved uses to allow for a grocery store, which would be limited to 15,000 square feet. The developers presented two options for the grocery store’s location, but since negotiations are ongoing, no decision has been finalized. One called for a 12,500-square-foot grocery store to take the place of a stand-alone office building toward the rear of the property near the proposed hotel. The second option would have the grocery store taking 12,800 square feet of the 34,100-square-foot structure — identified on the plans as Retail No. 1 — which is already built on site. This plan calls for leaving the office building in place, removal of a proposed coffee shop and not disrupting the parking lot. The resolution would indicate the commission’s preference that the grocery store be in the larger retail building. If the tenant proposes an alternative location, commissioners stated that it would have to be re-submitted to Planning and Zoning for a public hearing and decision. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com

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