State Choses Old Manchester Sam's Club For New PPE Warehouse

MANCHESTER, CT — State officials have chosen the former Sam's Club in Manchester for a warehouse to store personal protective equipment related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The State Bond Commission agreed Tuesday to put the final piece of the puzzle together with the approval of $3 million. A total of $5 million had previously been allocated for the project. The current facility in New Britain is outdated and at capacity, state officials said.

The Sam’s Club building in Manchester sits at 67 Pavilions Drive in the Buckland Hills commercial district. It measures 138,002 square feet on 13.07 acres. The property is still owned by Walmart and has sat vacant for years.

State officials said the the final purchase price is still being negotiated but the breakdown is estimated at:

• $6.8 million to purchase
• $300,000 in closing costs
• $900,000 in refurbishing costs

The deal is in line with appraisals and "fail market value," state officials said.

The warehouse is needed for virus-related personal protective equipment and emergency response equipment, officials said. The state wants centralized locations to store the equipment before delivery, officials said.

The site has about 500 parking spaces and several loading docks.

State officials said they consider the Sam's Club site as ideal because, when shopping around, it was the largest and best-equipped facility at that price. It is also close to Interstate-84 and Interstate-291, both of which have close connections to Interstate-91.

State Rep. Jason Rojas, a Democrat from the 9th District and a member of the commission, called the project "a great re-use" for the facility.

The Bond Commission voted 8-2 to approve the $3 million, with the two Republicans dissenting.

The other eight members consist of elected Democrats or members of the Lamont administration. The governor chairs the commission and sets the meeting agendas.