PetCo Added to Existing Line Up of Whole Foods, Panera Bread and EMS at Shops At Marcus Dairy

Eastern Mountain Sports and PetCo have both asked for building permits to begin their fit out at the Shops at Marcus Dairy on Sugar Hollow Road.

Sean Hearty, director of the Danbury Permit Center, said both PetCo and EMS asked for building permits on April 11. He said talks with Whole Foods are still preliminary.

"They're not talking about opening until the fall of 2013," Hearty said.

The other stores will open sooner.

"I think what you'll see is the stores open over a series of several months," said Attorney Neal Marcus, a member of the Marcus family, which owns this project.

Marcus said Whole Foods, which will anchor these group of stores, signed an agreement that says it will open its store within nine months of being given the space to fit out. That puts their opening sometime in early 2013.

"The stores will open up as soon as they finish their fit out. We don't really control that," Marcus said.

Many Danbury residents and people from farther away are unhappy because the former Marcus Dairy Bar was razed to make room for this development. A series of articles appeared on Danbury Patch about the Dairy Bar before and during the demolition. Follow these links to see these stories about the Dairy Bar.

So far, the line-up includes Whole Foods looking at a 38,200-square foot grocery store. Panera Bread looking for a 100-seat, 4,200-square-foot restaurant. EMS is looking for a 13,300-square-foot sporting goods store.

That leaves two small retail stores up for grabs in one building and another small retailer unknown in a second building.

The shops are across Backus Avenue from the Danbury Fair Mall.

Melissa Eigen, director of marketing for the mall, said she is looking forward to Whole Foods opening nearby.