Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • October 19, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 5 Developer eyes 180 new Hartford apts. near former Bow Tie Cinemas Massachusetts-based Dakota Partners has proposed building 180 new apartment units and storefront commercial space along a swath of parking lots adjacent to the former Bow Tie Cinemas in Hartford. The project would be Dakota's third in the Capital City and its fifth in Hartford County since 2015. Dakota is seeking city permission to subdivide 330 New Park Ave., located in the city's Parkville neighborhood near the West Hartford border, into four lots. Dakota intends to buy the three southernmost lots — which total approximately 5 acres and consist mainly of parking lots — from their current owner, Diamond Properties, which would presumably retain the northernmost lot containing the 17-screen multiplex, which changed operators after Bow Tie closed this past spring. Goodwin to move ahead with Univ. of Bridgeport purchase after Sacred Heart bows out Goodwin University is moving forward with buying most of the University of Bridgeport's property and programs, after Sacred Heart University recently pulled out of a planned co- location plan with the schools. Under a memorandum of understanding signed in June, East Hartford-based Goodwin, Fairfield- based Sacred Heart and Hamden- based Paier College of Art would have co-located programs on UB's campus and purchased all of the school's property and programs. The deal had Sacred Heart buying three buildings and UB's post- graduate education and engineering programs, along with its chiropractic and nutrition certificate programs, but now Goodwin will buy those buildings and programs, Goodwin President Mark Scheinberg said. Pandemic forces popular downtown Hartford deli to close permanently Popular downtown Hartford deli Max Bibo's has officially closed its doors after 21 years in business — a result of a major decline in foot traffic and office catering amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant had been closed since April 9, owner Bob Colangelo said. Colangelo notified his landlord at the 208 Trumbull St. storefront on Sept. 30, that he's officially shutting down. While Max Bibo's at one point had four locations in Hartford alone, its Wethersfield outpost is the last one standing. Qualidigm's Wethersfield HQ headed to auction Following Qualidigm's recent announcement that it would close its doors after more than 37 years in business, the national healthcare consulting firm has put its Wethersfield headquarters up for auction. The 44,000-square-foot, four-story building at 936 Silas Deane Highway is scheduled for a three-day online auction (Oct. 19 to 21) run by Ten-X Commercial. Qualidigm bought the property, which was built in 1970 and renovated in 2015, in late 2016 for $2.1 million, according to local land records. The brick-and-glass building, which sits on 1.8 acres, has been listed for sale in recent months by Colliers International at an asking price of just under $4 million. The starting bid price in the upcoming auction is set at $800,000, according to Ten-X. The Place 2 Be restaurant opens downtown Hartford location Breakfast restaurant The Place 2 Be has opened its second Hartford location, marking its first presence downtown with plans to open a third eatery in West Hartford's Blue Back Square. Principal owner Gina Luari said The Place 2 Be eschewed a grand opening for the new location at the former Spectra Wired Cafe in Hartford's Constitution Plaza because she wanted to avoid creating a crowd during a pandemic. The Place 2 Be's flagship location is at 615 Franklin Ave., in Hartford's south end, which Luari's family, owners of Town Line Diner in Rocky Hill, bought and rebranded in 2016. The new 4,500-square-foot space at Constitution Plaza is equipped with kiosks with touch screens customers can use for to-go coffee orders, Luari said. The restaurant also has an ordering system in which diners order from their phones, and their food and drinks are then brought to their table. Bradley Airport adds Southwest route to Nashville Southwest Airlines has added a new nonstop route to Nashville at Bradley International Airport, the latest new route for the Windsor Locks- based airfield even amid turmoil in the commercial aerospace industry. Daily nonstop service to Nashville International Airport via Southwest is scheduled to begin March 21, according to the quasi-public Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA), which oversees Bradley. Southwest will run one flight from Bradley to Nashville and one return flight each day. News of the new route comes just a couple weeks after CAA announced new nonstop routes to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Cancún, Mexico via carrier JetBlue. Glastonbury engineering firm acquired A New York consulting firm is moving into the Connecticut market through its recent acquisition of Glastonbury's Anchor Engineering Services. Syracuse-based Barton & Loguidice said it has acquired Anchor Engineering Services, an engineering and land surveying firm headquartered in Glastonbury. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the two parties said 30 employees from Anchor will join B&L, in addition to Anchor's former president and principal owner Mark Zessin, who now carries the titles of senior vice president and executive manager of the Connecticut office located at 41 Sequin Dr. Murtha Cullina lobbyist Gemski joins Kozak & Salina gov't relations firm Elizabeth "Liz" Gemski, who spent a decade as a government affairs consultant at Hartford law firm Murtha Cullina LLP, has joined lobbying firm Kozak & Salina LLC. Gemski's new title will be vice president of government relations. She joins David Kozak and Adam Salina, who formed the full-service government relations consulting firm in 2009. LATEST HEADLINES Commercial banking that begins with listening. "Putnam Bank… a division of Centreville Bank." Those words do more than describe a relationship between financial institutions. They introduce you to a larger team of commercial banking experts who are eager to listen to your business's needs, challenges, and goals. And with our expanded array of commercial banking products and services, we can help your business — no matter the size — continue to be a vital part of the eastern Connecticut community. putnambank.com/commercialbanking | Contact Kim Bushey at 860.928.6501. That's part of what it means to be a division of Centreville Bank. MEMBER FDIC left to right: Clara Angelos Vice President, Commercial Portfolio Manager Mark Light Vice President, Relationship Manager Robert F. Hannon Vice President, Commercial Lending Scott Sheppard SVP, Commercial Services & Government Banking Robert Trivella SVP, Senior Commercial Loan Officer Kim Bushey SVP, CT Commercial Market Head Centreville-37889 PB_commercial_HBJ_925x3125_f.indd 1 Centreville-37889 PB_commercial_HBJ_925x3125_f.indd 1 9/29/20 10:50 AM 9/29/20 10:50 AM

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