NewHavenBIZ

22 n e w h a v e n B I Z | O c t o b e r 2 0 2 1 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m R E A L E S T A T E P O W E R 2 5 on expansion. Earlier this year, the agency closed deals in Georgia and South Dakota totalling $34.4 million. According to the firm, it was part of a deliberate push to extend its reach beyond the Northeast. e firm recently expanded staff, hiring an investment associate to focus specifi- cally on the Southeast. e agency reports that to date, it has completed more than 1,000 transactions, totaling over $3 billion in value. In recent months, it sold a 16-unit waterfront apartment building in Bridge- port, Atlantic Street Apartments, for $1.9 million. It also recently closed on a deal involving a mixed-use property at 100 Lansdale Ave., Milford, for $9 million. e 43,634-square-foot building features 10 commercial suites, along with residen- tial apartments. Mark Duclos, Co- Founder & President, Sentry Commercial Mark Duclos is the co-founder and president of Sentry Commercial, a Hart- ford-based brokerage, property man- agement and construction management firm providing services around the state, including in the New Haven area. Duclos started his commercial real estate career in 1986, and has more than three decades of experience as an indus- trial specialist. His firm provides con- sulting, corporate services, tenant and buyer rep- resentation, and sales and leasing services. Under Duclos' leadership, the firm expanded by moving to larger quarters during the pan- demic, a time when many companies were actually downsizing their office space. Duclos moved the firm to a 4,500-square- foot space with an open floor plan at 160 Trumbull St., in Hartford. While based in Hartford, Sentry Com- mercial is active in greater New Haven. It's had several large area deals in recent months. e firm represented Provence Land Co. in its purchase of a Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook property to house its client, SavATree, which provides tree, shrub and lawn-care services. e firm was sole broker in the lease re- newal for a Wallingford-based residential and commercial construction company, M & R Construction, at 150 North Plains Industrial Road. Sentry represented Ka- mco Supply Corp. of New England when it recently renewed its lease at 2 Barnes Industrial Road South, Wallingford. It also represented 24 Restore NE LLC, a disaster restoration company, in its 7,200-square- foot lease of industrial and office space at 9 Corporate Ridge Road, Hamden. Duclos has had leadership roles in professional organizations, such as serving on the board of the CT/Western Mass. chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. Matt Halprin, President & Chief Operating Officer, New England Retail Properties Inc. Matt Halprin was promoted to president and chief operating officer at Wethersfield-based New England Retail Properties Inc. in April. Halprin is now sole owner of the company, which he co-founded in 1987. During his career, Halprin has leased millions of square feet of retail space and sold more than $250 million of investment prop- erties throughout New England and New York. Halprin has worked to garner the company a reputation as a leader in the areas of re- tail shopping center leasing, investment sales and tenant representation. e company under Halprin's leader- ship has expanded its leasing and devel- opment services to include healthcare spaces. According to the firm, medical brick and mortar has been transitioning from designated medical parks to mixed- use retail centers, providing consumers with health care near shopping oppor- tunities, while also increasing health provider visibility. In July, Halprin was sole broker in the investment sale of e Shoppes at Old Saybrook, located at 901 Boston Post Road, or Route 1, in Old Saybrook, for $6.75 million. e 94,175-square-foot shopping plaza sits on 8.5 acres and features tenants such as Ocean State Job Lot, Town Fair Tire, Dollar Tree, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Midas Muffler. Halprin has been active in professional organizations, and is a member of the In- ternational Council of Shopping Centers. Lauren Zucker, Associate Vice President for New Haven Affairs and University Properties, Yale University Whenever a new restaurant or retailer opens up in Yale University's proper- ties, Lauren Zucker is there to cut the ceremonial ribbon and wish the new business owner luck. In September, Zucker was heralding the arrival of the new Villa Lulu restau- rant in downtown New Haven. As the university's associate vice president for New Haven affairs and university properties, Zucker builds relationships with city officials and the business com- munity, and works to help businesses succeed. Zucker joined Yale in 2011, fol- lowing a corporate real estate finance career. In her cur- rent position, Zucker fosters economic development and educational outreach initiatives. Yale University Properties has some 500 residential properties and 85 com- mercial tenants, many of which have been negatively impacted by the pan- demic. Zucker and Yale have been working to help, including providing rent abatement, deferrals and reductions for tenants in Yale-owned buildings, and coordinating special advertising campaigns and pro- motions to attract customers, particularly in conjunction with holidays. Zucker and her team members have promoted takeout, outdoor dining and online shopping. ey have developed and participated in programs and activ- ities aimed at helping local businesses, such as a Window Art Stroll & Contest, holiday giveaway promotions and New Haven Restaurant Week. ey have also worked to connect merchants with feder- al and other available funds. Zucker has served on multiple boards for area organizations, such as New Haven Works, the Town Green Special Services District, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce and Market New Haven. Darren Seid, President & Founder, Epimoni Corp. Developer Darren Seid, president and founder of Epimoni Corp. in New York City, is behind the large-scale, mixed-use development dubbed Olive & Wooster in New Haven. Seid, a Manhattan resident, founded Epimoni in 2014, aer working as man- aging director for Pink Stone Capital Group, a real estate investment and development firm. During his career, he has been involved in projects totaling more than 1.2 million square feet across Connecti- cut, New York and New Jersey. Olive & Wooster is a new 299-unit apart- ment complex in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven, and its first residents will be moving in this November. Pre-leas- ing of the apartments, which range from studios up to four bedrooms, started this summer. Construction on the complex, which includes ground-floor retail space, start- ed in early 2019. It gets its name from its location, at the intersection of Olive and Wooster streets. It also has features like a fitness center, coworking space, clu- broom, private event rooms, pool deck and outdoor recreation areas. While the complex will have 8,000 square feet for retail, tenants have yet to be announced. At the complex's groundbreaking, Seid said the apartments, retail space and new parking would make it a "prime retail destination." e developer chose the location for its proximity to employers like Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital, along with the city's cultural offerings. According to Seid, the city's history and influence of Yale University give it a "charm," and "growth trajectory." Epimoni is currently negotiating land purchases for investment in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Juan Salas-Romer, President, NHR Group Juan Salas-Romer sees the potential for a building or neighborhood's transforma- tion and then makes it happen. Salas-Romer, president of NHR Group, which is based in New Haven, has more than 14 years of experience in the real estate industry in Connecticut. e com- pany provides a range of services, such as property management, leasing, capital improvements, development, construc- tion management and maintenance. Salas-Romer oversees the firm's business activities, which include projects involving an array of residen- tial, commercial, mixed-use and hospitality properties. Its goal is to create places where people will enjoy living and working. Salas-Romer is known for his work on New Haven Village Suites, an extend- ed-stay hotel on Long Wharf Drive. It was formerly a Marriott Residence Inn, but NHR Group gave it a multimillion-dollar makeover to rebrand it for longer-term stays, hoping to attract families visit- ing Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale University. e improvements included room renovations, lobby updates, new patios, extensive landscaping and security features. In another city project, Salas-Romer was involved in Ashmun Flats on Ash- mun Street. NHR Group redeveloped an empty church, bar and house into eight new apartments and a retail space. Salas-Romer oen transforms older buildings, such as the Palladium Building on Orange Street in New Haven, now a mix of apartments, office space and retail. NHR Group purchased several multifam- ily houses and townhomes on Humphrey and East streets in New Haven and transformed them into Humphrey Village following renovations, from new siding to updating kitchens to manicuring yards. Paul Denz, Founder & President, Northside Development During Paul Denz's three-decade long career in the real estate industry, he has developed over 3 million square feet of commercial and residential space worth more than $125 million. And he is still going strong. Denz is both founder and president of Northside Development Co. in New Haven. e company is involved in real estate development, acquisitions, asset management and property management. Its portfolio includes multiple properties in Connecticut, including several in New Continued from previous page Continued on page 24

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