Construction supplier set to occupy vacant Danbury warehouse

Rob Ryser | Feb. 28, 2022

DANBURY — A construction equipment and materials supplier is set to take over a vacant warehouse and storefront in an industrial stretch on Danbury’s west side.

An attorney for Southington-based Superior Products Distributors said it was fitting for a full-service construction company to occupy the former Ehrbar warehouse on Kenosia Avenue, as the building boom on Danbury’s west side continues.

 A 20,000-square-foot warehouse and storefront on Danbury’s west side once occupied by Ehrbar Construction. A Southington construction equipment and materials supplier could get permission from Danbury’s Planning Commission in early March to occupy the 4-acre site.

 “Given the type of business that they are in and what is going on in Danbury, which leads the state in construction … this is a win-win to have somebody occupy this building again,” said Neil Marcus during a public hearing conducted by the city’s Planning Commission last week. “(Superior) goes one step beyond where Ehrbar was — not only do they rent the equipment, but they also provide some of the basic building materials that you use with the equipment.”

Marcus was describing plans by the family-owned Superior Products Distributors to open a fifth sales and service center in a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and store west of Danbury Fair mall.

Superior, which in addition to its Southington headquarters has locations in Norwich, Bridgeport and East Hartford, could get approval from the city Planning Commission on Wednesday.

“I don’t have any objection to it,” said Arnold Finaldi, the Planning Commission chairman, at last week’s public hearing. “I remember when (Ehrbar) had those gigantic cranes, hoists, and manlifts in front there. This seems to be less intrusive than that use.”

Superior plans to operate a construction and worksite supply service that includes everything from renting bulldozers and excavators to selling road and bridge supplies. The company would use some of the 4-acre site for the outdoor storage of materials such as sewer drains and storm pipe, rigid foam insulation, and conduit storm water chambers.

“Would there be dividers out there to segregate the different type of materials?” asked Robert Chiocchio, a Planning Commission member

“If you’re thinking of sand and gravel, you might have dividers, but this is not that kind of material,” said Michael Mazzucco, the company’s consultant.

“Is there anything oversized in the equipment inventory that we need to worry about?” asked Planning Commission member Helen Hoffstaetter.

“This is smaller construction equipment and not anything extremely large,” Mazzucco replied.

The site in question, north of Danbury Municipal Airport, is in an industrial stretch that includes Cartus Corp. and Hologic Inc.

“As long as the frontage remains uncluttered, I don’t really see an issue with it,” said City Council member Paul Rotello.

Superior plans to invest about $100,000 in renovations, mostly to the interior, according to blueprints. The company will also install a gate and a chain-link fence around the storage yard.

“For a number of years this property has been vacant until the property was recently purchased by the applicant’s affiliate,” the consultant Mazzucco said. “The site is not really changing that much. The changes are minor in nature.”