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22 n e w h a v e n B I Z | D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m PHOTO | HANNA SNYDER GAMBINI Chase Bank has a new branch under construction in Cheshire at 202 Highland Ave. Development projects sprout up along Cheshire's Highland Avenue W h a t ' s T h e D e a l ? B u y e r s & S e l l e r s By Hanna Snyder Gambini A new day care center is sprouting up on one of the last vacant lots on Highland Avenue in Cheshire's town center. e Learning Experience, a Florida-based early learning cen- ter, will soon occupy a new single-story, 10,000-square-foot space at 425-435 Highland Ave., that's currently under construction. e property was sold for $900,000 in September by JAD Partners LLC and principals David and Jonny Feldman and Amit Desai, according to town records. e new owner is Avon-based Cheshire Highland LLC and principal Eric Spungin, who said he had e Learning Experience as a client and has been looking for an ideal spot for a new center for more than a year. e Weissman family started e Learning Experience in 1980 with one location in Boca Raton, Fla. Now, there are more than 300 locations throughout the U.S., including several in Connecti- cut. Property owner and developer Spungin said he didn't have Cheshire in mind specifically, but found this location ideal in many ways. e lot was vacant, and "when it's a question of economics and location, it's easier to start without having to demo a property," he said. "It's also on a main street, with traffic lights, so those are two more bonus features." e property's zoning was also in place, and no adjustments were needed. Cheshire Economic Development Director Andrew Martelli said he had been approached by other potential devel- opers for that coveted, long-vacant site, but it's zoned for professional use, therefore ideas such as a liquor store or fast-food restaurant would not have been allowed. e area, near the historic center of town, is zoned for profession- al uses, and the day care center fits in well, Martelli said. e child-care center will create roughly 20 to 25 jobs, serve more than 150 children and provide services for local families. "It's a positive economic move for Cheshire," Spungin said. Plans for the 1.26-acre site were approved in July. e new building is currently under construction, with an anticipated summer 2023 opening date. Appropriate development e project will transform one of the last vacant plots of land along the coveted Highland Avenue commercial stretch, where a few other projects are underway. Less than a quarter-mile up the road, a new dental practice building is taking shape. LH Taylor Properties LLC and princi- pal Amy Vincent purchased 306 High- land Ave., in August 2021, for $700,000 from AICAL LLC and principal Mark Godfrey. Owners demolished a 1953 building on the 1.3-acre property that housed a nail salon. ey are now building a 5,000-square-foot, Colonial-style struc- ture for a dental practice. Down the road, at 202 Highland Ave., a new Chase Bank branch is also under construction. e 1.4-acre property is owned by Highland Associates LLC of Cheshire and principal Jay H. Brodach. ese projects give a much-needed boost to a few neglected properties in that area, town officials said. Over the past several years, special de- velopment districts have been created to encourage mixed-use projects in other areas of town. e Ball & Socket Arts project is leading the way in transforming the former factory and the surrounding area on West Main Street with food service, retail, arts and office spaces. e north end of town, off I-691, is home to a massive new residential, retail and professional area created off a town master plan. But zoning regulations for Highland Avenue and the center of town have not changed as local officials aim to carefully encourage the appropriate type of devel- opment, Martelli said. "e center of town is still very lim- ited, and there are pretty strict setback requirements," he said. "But Route 10 has always been open for this type of development. ese were lots in need of redevelopment, and we're not taking any green space out. is is on our main thoroughfare, it's undeveloped, and we're making sure the development happening is still within the character of the town." Martelli said the strategic approach to appropriate zoning for various parts of town means Cheshire is "getting a lot of quality development, from quality developers, who are willing to work with the town and within the zones." n The Learning Experience, a Florida-based early learning center, will soon occupy a new single-story, 10,000-square-foot space at 425-435 Highland Ave., shown above. West Haven Avon-based Honeycomb Real Estate Partners will build an affordable hous- ing development at 149 and 169 Derby Ave., the site of a former industrial laundry, in West Haven's West River neighborhood. Honeycomb is planning 64 apart- ments, all deemed affordable, in a development called the Monarch, which is a dual tribute to the defunct Monarch Cleaners and the endangered butterfly. Pending approval of a grant to clean up contamination at the site, the devel- opers expect to complete the project by late 2024 or early 2025. Lewis Brown, principal at Honey- comb, said: "e idea of metamorphosis and changing this dirty, contaminated site with shuttered buildings into what we think is quite attractive, contextually appropriate affordable housing is pretty powerful." A rendering of the planned Monarch affordable housing development. RENDERING | CONTRIBUTED West Haven A section of the former Chick's Drive- In property on Beach Street in West Haven will soon be the site of a new housing development. Plans call for 12 single-family de- tached housing units on a portion of the former Chick's site and half of the parking lot at 41-45 Morse Ave., and 183 Beach St. e Amico Group LLC of North Haven purchased the 6,700-square-foot former restaurant and the 2.5 acres of land for $1 million in 2021. e beachfront property development was proposed by North Haven-based CDM Holdings LLC. Amico Group principal Christopher Marone, who is also a principal in CDM Holdings LLC, said the townhouses will be 1,700 square feet each, with three bedrooms and two and a half baths. Marone is hopeful construction can 41-45 Morse Ave. and 183 Beach St. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Continued on next page

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