Hartford Business Journal

8 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 14, 2021 Deal Watch Former downtown Hartford church property for sale By Greg Bordonaro gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com A former downtown Hartford church property that was purchased by the state in 2008 and has been considered for various uses, including a performance venue, has been listed for sale. The 22,490-square-foot empty building at 129 Lafayette St. was listed last month by the state of Connecticut, and it represents the fourth downtown Hartford property the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has put up for sale in recent months. All four properties are located within a mile of each other and are in, or close to, an area seen as key for the ongoing mixed-use redevelopment near The Bushnell. The other for-sale properties include 18-20 Trinity St., an 87,637-square-foot office building on 0.85 acres with 43 on-site parking spaces; and 30 Trinity St., a 76,665-square-foot office building on 0.8 acres with 24 on-site parking spaces. Both were listed for sale in mid-April. In March DAS also listed for sale a state-owned parking lot at 340 Capitol Ave., which sits in the shadow of the Capitol Lofts apartments and State Armory. Shane Mallory, who oversees state government's real estate portfolio, said DAS has been assessing state-owned properties over the last few years to determine which buildings are underutilized and could be sold off to save money. The four downtown Hartford properties present several different opportunities for development or redevelopment, although the state doesn't dictate how they can be used, he said. "We let the market dictate the use," Mallory said, adding that a buyer must conform to local zoning codes. The four properties are currently all zoned for mixed use. Capital Region Development Authority Executive Director Michael Freimuth has said the Trinity Street properties are key pieces of real estate that could bring housing to the neighborhood around The Bushnell. New rental units on Trinity Street would complement the mixed-use conversion of a historic office building at 55 Elm St., which has been used in recent decades by state workers. Norwalk developer Spinnaker Real Estate Partners is leading the Elm Street conversion and is moving forward with a proposed $63.3 million, 164 unit mixed-use apartment redevelopment that will include coworking and restaurant space. Up to 70 of the living units will be constructed so they can be available for hotel rooms, if the market justifies the need. Mallory said the Trinity Street properties have seen significant interest from developers, though no formal plans have been submitted yet. The RFP deadline for those properties is July 9. 129 Lafayette St. Type: Church Listing price: None Size: 22,490 sq. ft. Current owner: State of Connecticut Seller contact: Shane Mallory, shane.mallory@ct.gov 129 Lafayette St., Hartford. PHOTO | COSTAR "I think there is a big interest in housing," Mallory said. "Several different groups have looked at Trinity Street. The tours have been very well attended." The Lafayette Street property was built in phases between 1923 and 1930 for the Second Church of Christ Scientist and served as a place of worship for over 80 years until it was purchased by the state in 2008 for $2.2 million, Mallory said. The property has largely stood vacant since then. It had been pitched as a rehearsal and performance space for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and for use by the Connecticut State Library Museum of Connecticut History, but nothing ever materialized. Interested developers have until July 16 to submit a bid for the Lafayette Street property. On The Market HBJ FILE PHOTO Shane Mallory oversees state government's real estate portfolio for the Department of Administrative Services. For Sale Property address City Property type Size (SF) Listing price Year built Listing broker Phone number 190 Day Hill Rd Windsor Land $9,330,000 Randall Koladis 860-525-9171 866-870 Park St Hartford Multi-Family 9,177 $499,000 1900 Lisa Cozzi 860-633-3674 286 Farmington Ave Hartford Multi-Family 16,239 $1,360,000 1920 Lisa Cozzi 860-633-3674 18 Sherman St Hartford Multi-Family 15,120 $2,058,000 1959 Lisa Cozzi 860-633-3674 300 E River Dr East Hartford Flex 70,350 1967 John McCormick 860-525-9171 1184 Burnside Ave East Hartford Retail (Strip Center) 10,707 $850,000 1988 Shawnna Kelly 860-893-0093 47 Putnam St Hartford Multi-Family 4,524 $269,900 1970 Amanda Faroni-Sheehan 860-308-6115 1438-1448 Albany Ave Hartford Retail 11,238 $675,000 1926 Amanda Faroni-Sheehan 860-308-6115 400 Chapel Rd South Windsor Flex 1,200 $89,900 1983 Donald McLaughlin 860-688-1738 53 Edgewood St Hartford Multi-Family 7,405 $365,000 1910 Tom Connor 781-776-4000 31 Middle Tpke W Manchester Office 1,616 $229,900 1940 Donna Connoly 860-646-2482 38-40 Redding St Hartford Multi-Family 8,211 $399,999 1926 Thuyan Tran 860-308-6115 76-78 Sterling St Hartford Multi-Family 6,324 $325,000 1925 Tom Connor 781-776-4000 Here is a list of properties that have been recently listed for sale. They are ordered based on the number of days on market. Source: CoStar

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