4 Hartford Business Journal • August 10, 2020 • www.HartfordBusiness.com
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uncertainty caused by the pandemic, which has
surged in multiple other states of late and could
potentially return to Connecticut and wreak
more havoc on its economy.
"This was a pre-COVID discussion, but COVID
helped it along, is the best way to put it," Edge
said of Berlin's expanded abatement structure.
He remains hopeful that the pandemic will
turn out OK. When it does, Berlin will have some
brand new retail and apartment inventory wait-
ing. The apartments are sorely needed, he said,
and would be the first new market-rate, non-
age-restricted rentals to be built in many years.
It will mean more options for people who work
at large local companies, such as Eversource
and Assa Abloy, and could also translate to more
Millennial homeowners in Berlin in the future,
should they put down roots here, he added.
Construction on the three-story apartment
buildings is slated to begin this fall, accord-
ing to Helene Cavalieri of Berkshire Hathaway
HomeServices New England Properties, who
is the leasing broker on both pieces of the
Turnpike Ridge development.
Cavalieri said she couldn't yet disclose
monthly rental rates, since some design tweaks
are still possible, but the apartments are
expected to all contain two bedrooms and two
full bathrooms, with each unit totaling around
1,240 square feet.
Signs of demand
Turnpike Ridge will
have two separate
retail buildings: the
first 17,000-square-
foot property was built
in 2017 and is nearly
leased up; a neighbor-
ing 18,000-square-foot
structure will be the next phase of development.
Tenants already moved in and operating in
the first property include Envy Salon, Sap-
phire Nails and Spa, and Fresh Monkee, which
makes shakes and smoothies.
Meanwhile, a restaurant called Burger Boss,
which has a State House Square outpost in
downtown Hartford that's been closed due to the
pandemic, is set to open a second location later
this year at the first Turnpike Ridge building. A
kickboxing gym called Sudor
Taino Group Fitness and a
restaurant called Pho Bar are
also coming, Cavalieri said.
The pending second retail
building has drawn one
confirmed tenant so far —
Smoothie King. Berlin will be
the fifth Connecticut location
for the Texas-based chain.
Cavalieri views the leas-
ing activity as a good sign
for the future, particularly
as Connecticut eateries
and salons were hit hard by shutdown orders
during the pandemic.
"They were very anxious to get back up and
running," she said of retail businesses. "I think
they're doing OK, given the circumstances."
"Slowly but surely people are coming back,
and they're taking every precaution that needs
to be taken," she added.
>> Town Profile continued
Middletown
General
Land area (sq. miles) 26
Median age 49
Population 20,245
Median household income $93,328
Unemployment rate 7.8%
Major Employers
Eversourse
Comcast
Keep Me Home
Town of Berlin
Assa Abloy
Housing stock
Median price $281,100
Median rent $1,118
Government
Total revenue (2017) $90,092,780
Per capita tax $3,320
Actual mill rate 33.93
Grand List $2,325,084,873
Economy
Top employment industries Units Employment
Manufacturing 86 2,350
Retail trade 75 1,347
Health care and
social assistance 62 1,281
Top taxpayers (2018)
Rocky River Realty Corp. $212,478,618
Corbin Russwin $34,240,590
TOMZ Corp. $21,252,800
Source: AdvanceCT
A rendering of Turnpike Plaza's second retail building, which is about to be
under construction and has already secured one tenant so far — Smoothie King.
Helene Cavalieri,
Realtor, Berkshire
Hathaway
HomeServices New
England Properties
RENDERING
|
CONTRIBUTED
