Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • July 13, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 3 CMHA seeks integral role in downtown New Britain's revival efforts By Sean Teehan steehan@hartfordbusiness.com W hen Community Men- tal Health Affiliates Inc. (CMHA) moved into the Plaza building in downtown New Britain, neighbors were skeptical about what the nonprofit would add to the city's largest business district. New Britain Downtown District Executive Director Gerry Amodio had been trying to persuade Cen- tral Connecticut State University to move into the seven-story building at 233-235 Main St. But after those talks fell through, CMHA bought the 84,800-square-foot property for $3.4 million, and moved hundreds of work- ers in at the end of 2018. About a year- and-a-half later, Amodio says CMHA has turned out to be a good partner in developing the city's downtown. "It's had a positive effect on restaurants and on shops because we have more people on the street," Amodio said. "They've been very supportive of the programs we run. … They've really shown themselves to be a good neighbor." By September, CMHA will put the finishing touches on about $4 million in renovations to the building, and will open a recently com- pleted pharmacy that will be run by East Haven- based Beacon Prescriptions, said CMHA Presi- dent and CEO Ray Gorman. With the building complete, Gorman said he sees CMHA as a key partner in developing New Britain's downtown, which has seen other recent developments, including new apartments. "I think [our presence has] been a really positive impact for a number of people: the city, local merchants and certainly us," Gorman said. Consolidating space CMHA, which has 375 total em- ployees, bought the Plaza building to consolidate much of its leased real estate, Gorman said. The nonprofit, which earns about $30 million a year in revenue, also had the financial wherewithal to buy an office building. After the CCSU deal foundered, Gorman jumped on the opportunity to buy the Plaza building, which was empty aside from two tenants — the Social Security Administration and state Workers Compensation Com- mission. The move put about 200 CMHA employees in downtown New Britain each weekday; remaining staff work in separately housed residential programs, and in Waterbury and Tor- rington offices. But Gorman also understood the dual concerns some neighbors had about sharing the downtown area with an organization providing men- tal health services, and allowing the large property to be sold to a nonprof- it exempt from paying city property taxes. There was also some pushback from local merchants, he said. New Britain, a city of about 75,000 people with a poverty rate twice the state average, had a downtown grand list of just about $55 million in 2018, Amodio said. But Gorman pointed out that CMHA intends to lease out all vacant space in the building, which will create taxed Continued on page 4 >> TOWN PROFILE: NEW BRITAIN 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com MECHANICAL | ELECTRICAL | PLUMBING | SHEET METAL | BUILDING AUTOMATION | FACILITIES SERVICES License #'s: E1-0125666 S1-302974 P1-203519 F1-10498 SM1-192 MC-1134 SUSTAINABLE FACILITIES COMPETITIVE. EFFICIENT. PRODUCTIVE. The company that builds and installs the critical systems in virtually every type of facility is the same company you can rely on to maintain them. For over 50 years, our clients have trusted us to provide sustainable, more efficient, greener facilities. Experts in: Energy Systems & Incentives, Building Automation Technologies, Sustainable Design & Operation NEMSI HBJ_QtrPg Ads_200117.indd 1 NEMSI HBJ_QtrPg Ads_200117.indd 1 1/17/20 1:31 PM 1/17/20 1:31 PM Up Front Ray Gorman, President and CEO, Community Mental Health Affiliates Inc. Community Mental Health Affiliates Inc. President and CEO Ray Gorman cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of CMHA's Main Street, New Britain headquarters. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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