Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1010702
12 Hartford Business Journal • August 6, 2018 • www.HartfordBusiness.com By Gregory Seay gseay@HartfordBusiness.com M anchester restaura- teur Tammy Gerhard and her husband teamed with another couple nearly two years ago to open their Silk City Cof- fee establishment on Manchester's historic Main Street. Taking the nickname for a communi- ty once renowned for weaving silk into fabric, the Gerhards so far have found their retail venture lucrative and are already plotting an on-site expansion. Along the way, Gerhard says her family came to adore Manchester so much, they sold their South Windsor home and relocated to one in town, two minutes from their cafe. "We wanted to more fully be a part of the community that we love to serve,'' Gerhard said. This community of about 59,000 residents east of the Connecticut River may find more families resettling with- in its borders before long. Manchester's mayor and its top economic-develop- ment official cite a MetroHartford Alli- ance session during which a presenter forecast Manchester as Greater Hart- ford's most populous suburb by 2030, supplanting West Hartford. "We have very affordable housing,'' said Mayor Jay Moran. "We have families that used to live in Manchester, moved away to Tolland and South Windsor. But their kids can't afford those communities, so they're moving back to Manchester." The median home sales price in Manchester was about $187,800 vs. $236,400 in Hartford County from 2011 to 2015, ac- cording to data produced by the CT Data Collab- orative. The me- dian household income in town is $63,158 vs. $70,331 statewide. While West Hartford and Farmington Val- ley communities west of the river enjoyed reputa- tions as havens for homebuyers, corporate head- quarters, diners and shoppers, Manchester over the years has stuck to its small- town knitting, Moran said. It focused on incrementally expanding its economic diversity while hanging onto many of its older houses and buildings that locals say lend it an air of charm. But that charm preservation has not slowed commercial redevelopment in a town that is among Greater Hartford's leading employment hubs, with 15 major employers accounting for more than 5,200 full- and part-time jobs. That count is likely to grow, with chic grocer Trader Joe's recently announcing plans for its first store east of the Con- necticut River. Furniture dealer Ray- mour & Flanagan is asking Manchester for permission to expand its distribution center, said Gary Anderson, Manches- ter's director of planning and economic develop- ment. Unlike many of its suburban Hartford neigh- bors, Manchester has a hospital and is home to Manchester Community College. It also is headquarters for Bob's Discount Furniture, the home-furnishings chain that several years ago erected a new headquar- ters building visible from I-84. Its industrial area in the Progress Drive corridor is home to several Pratt & Whitney aeroparts suppliers, among them Spartan Aerospace LLC and ACMT Inc. Manchester, too, benefits from having as its neighbor East Hartford, home to Pratt & Whitney and the United Tech- nologies Research Center, which are un- derway hiring thousands of engineers, technologists and other skilled workers. Many of them could choose to live or play in Manchester, Anderson said. Recently, Massachusetts landlord- developer Winstanley Enterprises Co. announced its $70 million purchase and pending redevelopment of the massive J. C. Penny regional distribution center in town, in the shadow of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall. The mall recently underwent an extensive facelift. Winstanley, owner of the Plaza At Burr Corners shopping center near Buckland mall, proposes to carve most of the Penny facility's 1.9 million square feet into smaller manufactur- ing and distribution suites. Doing so would likely increase employment well beyond the 400 or so workers Penny currently employs there. That would mean more demand for houses and apartments. The Buckland mall and the roster of surrounding clothing, furniture, electronics and other retail stores, along with the town's Main Street strip of local merchants, would see even more shoppers, Anderson said. Safety concerns The Capital Region Council of Govern- ments (CRCOG), retained by Manchester to assist in refining its economic-devel- opment strategy, conducted a focus- group session with residents who admit- ted they really like their town, especially its diversity of people and businesses. "We found overwhelming feedback that residents like the [road] access to 'Silk City' Revival Manchester tapping its many roads to growth Manchester's Largest Employers Number of Company Employees Prospect ECHN 1,680 Allied Printing 357 Paradigm 350 Home Depot 300 Macy's 300 Wal-Mart 300 Big Y 300 Manchester Community College 280 J.C. Penny Warehouse 250 Dave & Buster's 200 Gary Anderson, Manchester's director of planning and economic development, stands on the town's Main Street corridor, thriving with local shops, restaurants, even a town-owned "coworking" space, he says enhance its small-town charm. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER