NewHavenBIZ

34 n e w h a v e n B I Z | J a n u a r y 2 0 2 0 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m Continued from Page 33 REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION costs associated with investigating and remediating environmental issues. e first question I ask is, "Is it part of the Transfer Act, and did any of those activities occur within the past 100 years?" Acording to Nicotra, the Transfer Act "kills many deals," as developers don't want to deal with "notorious- ly slow" regulatory agencies and risk having their projects put in limbo for an indefinite time period. Nicotra recalls placing a deposit on a New Haven property, only to find out it had been used at one time for a limousine company. e deal fell through, and today the property is a parking lot, according to Nicotra. "It is a major detriment to business in Connecticut," Nicotra says. "Everybody loses — the state doesn't get taxes and it really impacts commercial activity. If there are two [equivalent available] properties, one in Massachusetts and one in Connecticut, I will look at the Massachusetts one instead." Environmental benefits e Transfer Act provides an opportunity for DEEP to become aware of and address environmental pollution, Czeczotka says. "What it does that is beneficial is get pollution out of the environ- ment," he says. While Czeczotka has heard from the commercial real estate com- munity about deals being killed, he said his office has seen success sto- ries, with properties getting cleaned up and redeveloped. "What the law itself requires is not so difficult," Czeczotka argues. "People want to know — how much time will this take? What will be the cost? What is the end point? We feel we can strike a good balance." Czeczotka, who also is a member of the working group, understands the perspective of real estate professionals and property owners, and the need to "strike a balance between the environment and eco- nomic prosperity." "ere are always opportunities to make improvements," he says. Czeczotka says that in the mid- 1980s, before the Transfer Act became law, people were buying and selling properties without un- dertaking much-needed cleanup. "is was created so we knew the condition of a site and who is tak- ing responsibility, and DEEP could make sure the sites were cleaned up," he says. Amid stories of killed deals and idle properties, there are also success stories. An empty industrial building at 166 Chapel Street in New Haven is getting a new use in spite of being in the Transfer Act for several years. Hird was involved in the transaction, which involves a build- ing formerly owned by manufac- turer Von Roll USA Inc. "[e owners] were good corpo- rate citizens and kept working to get it out of the Transfer Act," Hird said. "When they sold it, the buyer got a good deal because they accepted responsibility to finish the work." Von Roll USA Inc. makes electrical insulation products. e property had been contaminated with petroleum compounds, metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, according to documents at City Hall. e new owner, Art to Frames, makes and ships personalized and custom photographs and artwork, and its reuse of the New Haven facility will create about 150 jobs. "at is a good ending," says Hird. With changes to the Transfer Act under discussion, economic development and real estate officials hope more happy endings are on the horizon. n This former dry cleaners at 203 Alden Ave. in New Haven is among properties where redevelopment has been stymied. A new life for the contaminated former Ansonia Copper & Brass site in downtown Ansonia could revitalize the city. Pictured at the site: Ansonia's Economic Development Director Sheila O'Malley.

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