Pilgrim Furniture City to Open on Federal Road

You've seen the advertisements for Pilgrim Furniture City. Maybe you saw the sign on I-84 in Southington, but where is it? It isn't nearby, not yet.

The furniture store that inclues an "authentic old-time carousel" cafe and a small theater to entertain children (yes, it does sound a bit like Bob's Discount Furniture up on Federal Road in Brookfield,) is talking about opening before Labor Day.

"They're getting permits now and they're paying for an expedited review," said Sean Hearty, Permit Center coordinator in Danbury City Hall. "They really want to get in."

Fire Marshal Jimmy Johnson made is preliminary visit to the pending store, but as of late July, the work on the new furniture store has hardly started.

The schedule may seem a bit optimistic, seeing the initial workers have removed the old racks from Linens n' Things, and they are now grinding off or scraping off the old glue that held down the old carpets.

The parking lot was relined this summer, but the store has been vacant for four years. Linens n' Things, 114 Federal Road, filed for bankruptcy nationwide in 2008, and the Danbury store, and more than 500 others, were liquidated by the end of that year. Bob's Store, a discount clothing store, is next door.

Representatives of Pilgrim Furniture City reached Tuesday morning said, yes, the company is hoping to open for Labor Day, and yes, that may be optimistic. The store will employ roughly 25 people.

"Pilgrim Furniture City, a privately owned company established in 1961,
has begun renovating the 50,000 square foot anchor store located at 114
Federal Road in Danbury, CT," the company said in a prepared release. "Bob’s Stores, Home Depot and Stew Leonard’s surround the prime piece of real estate once occupied by Linens ‘n Things. The Danbury location is the fourth store in the Pilgrim Furniture City chain."

Pilgrim Furniture City will join numerous other furniture stores on Federal Road, all in Brookfield, but near enough that anyone in Danbury looking for furniture will certainly consider Federal Road, where they will find Bob's Discount Furniture, 201 Federal Road; Raymour & Flannigan, 14 Candlewood Lake Road; Costco, 200 Federal Road; Dinette Depot, 20 Federal Road; Bassett Furniture, 270 Federal Road; Wood Bin, 305 Federal Road and finally, Lj Edwards, 273 Federal Road.

"Every major furniture outlet wants to be on Federal Road. It is Furniture Road," said Stephen Bull, president of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce. "It's become a destination for anyone shopping for furniture."

Bull said that as each of the stores advertise, naming Federal Road as their location, shoppers drive along and shop several stores.

"They capitalize on each others' marketing efforts," Bull said.