Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1427549
21 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 15, 2021 By Greg Bordonaro gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com The former Hartford Marriott Farmington hotel, which received town approval this summer to be converted into an apartment project, has sold for $21.5 million and is now under new ownership, town records show. The 381-room hotel at 15 Farm Springs Road, which closed earlier this year, sold Oct. 7, property records show. The seller was CLP Farmington LLC, which is controlled by Robert Schlesinger of Freeport, New York, state records show. Jason Schlesinger, who is also an owner of CLP Farmington LLC, was the developer who said in July that construction would begin in late summer to convert the hotel into 225 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom luxury apartments. The buyer was GF8 Farm Springs LLC, which is controlled by Yechezkel Landau of Lakewood, New Jersey, state records show. It's not clear what the sale means for the apartment conversion project. Jason Schlesinger didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Farmington Town Planner Shannon Rutherford said she had not spoken to the new owners and has no further information about the project. CLP Farmington acquired the hotel in June for $10.5 million, town records show. Farmington Marriott hotel slated for apartment conversion sold for $21.5M Sportech has invested about $200,000 to add sports betting machines at its 10 off-track betting locations in Connecticut. PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED 15 Farm Springs Road, Farmington. PHOTO | COSTAR Our CT Cannabis Insider is delivered every Thursday at 10am to your inbox. SIGN UP NOW! HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM/ENEWSLETTERS Lamont was negotiating a deal with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, which were vying for exclusive rights over expanded gambling in the state. Taylor originally objected to the deal hashed out by the Lamont administration, casino tribes and CT Lottery, and even raised the possibility of suing the state over the setup. But Taylor said he ultimately came around. The casinos were given the ability to have in-person and online sports betting and virtual casino games, and the lottery now has access to in-person and online sports betting and virtual lottery games. The lottery is partnering with Sportech to add sports betting to the company's off-track betting sites. "We've ended up in a slightly less advantageous position, but still fairly positive," said Taylor, alluding to the fact Sportech can't offer online sports betting in the state. "It wasn't the perfect result for us, but we've managed to carve out a situation we're content with." Food and entertainment Taylor said his company is already seeing a lot of activity at Sports Haven and the two Bobby V's locations, all of which operate as sports-themed bars/restaurants with sports betting options. Bobby V's in Stamford appears to be drawing a lot of customers from nearby New York, and the one in Windsor Locks is attracting Massachusetts residents, he said. The other seven Sportech locations that will offer sports gambling don't have food or beverage service. But that could change depending on how successful its Bobby V's and Sports Haven locations become, Taylor said. "As we work out the trends around sports betting, we'll be looking to extend the offerings … so we can offer food, beverage and entertainment alongside the betting," Taylor said. "It's a work in progress." Additionally, Taylor said Sportech is in conversations with multiple states about running sports betting books there. Under state mandate, the CT Lottery must open sports betting entertainment venues — i.e. not simply terminal locations — in Bridgeport and Hartford. CT Lottery will send out requests for proposals for venues in three other cities or towns, Lottery Chair Simmelkjaer said. While the quasi-public agency hasn't made a decision about where the other venues might go, Simmelkjaer said Danbury is one likely location. Simmelkjaer said sports betting will certainly improve CT Lottery's revenue generation, but he doubts it will eclipse the money it makes on lottery tickets and other operations it's run for years. The state lottery did $1.5 billion in sales last year, garnering more than $400 million in profits, Simmelkjaer said. "As great as sports betting is, it is not going to bring in revenue that is going to dramatically change our revenue picture," Simmelkjaer said. "It's going to be a nice addition."