NewHavenBIZ

n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | J a n u a r y 2 0 2 3 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 27 W h a t ' s T h e D e a l development agency headquarters and an entrepreneurial incubator for minority-owned businesses, along with an early child-care center and green- houses for urban farming initiatives. ConnCORP CEO Erik Clemons said this is his agency's signature project within a portfolio of other ambitious ventures that aim to rejuvenate ne- glected parts of the city. "In our eyes, we're always set on Dixwell and Newhallville in New Haven, one because it's a primarily Black neighborhood community and it has languished in poverty for decades now," Clemons said. "We believe that we should be aggressively addressing poverty all over the city, especially in African-American neighborhoods. at's really the genesis and orienta- tion of why we chose to do this." Economic benefits With state funding in place, includ- ing an additional $2 million for site remediation, ConnCORP officials are looking to demolish the plaza and Elks Club buildings in the first quarter of 2023, and break ground for construc- tion in the second or third quarter of the new year. e project will run in two phases, and should take about three years, Clemons said. e project is expected to generate 700 permanent jobs and 600 construction jobs, with an economic impact of nearly $700 million by year 10 for the Dixwell area and hundreds of millions more throughout New Haven, Clemons said. He praised the public and private support for the project, from state legislators and groups like the Depart- ment of Economic and Community Development who "helped champion our cause and who saw this project as we saw it … as a transformative project," Clemons said. e $10 million will go toward the start of construction, with each area of the project as important as the next. "is is a community center development project," Clemons said. "is isn't us coming into the neighborhood and saying 'we're going to do this.' … We were intentional about sitting with the community and hearing from the community for the last two to three years. So what we are delivering is in response to what we heard the community say they wanted and needed." ConnCORP has funding in place to start construction but is still looking toward public and private investors, including philanthropy, and negotiating financing with banks. is work by ConnCORP and its partners helps to reinforce the significance of cultural equity and restore the Dixwell area in a manner that is forward-thinking, said New Haven Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli. He praised the development agency for its work on this and other projects, saying "ConnCORP has emerged as one of the leading workforce development partners in all of southern Connecticut." n Dixwell Plaza revitalization project ready to move forward after $10M state allocation ConnCORP CEO Erik Clemons said the Dixwell Plaza revitalization is his organization's signature project. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED By Hanna Snyder Gambini D evelopers of the Dixwell Plaza revitalization project are ready to start construction aer securing private funds and receiving a $10-million allocation from the state Bond Commission. e project includes replacing a mostly vacant shopping plaza with a mixed-use development including nearly 150 housing units, 20% of which will be affordable, and 15 affordable townhouses. ConnCORP, the new for-profit community economic development arm of workforce development nonprofit ConnCAT, is spearheading the project. e redevelopment targets a 7.6-acre site that will be revitalized into a retail, business, residential and cultural center with a 300-seat perform- ing arts center, banquet hall and restaurants, supermarket, retail sites, B u y e r s & S e l l e r s Madison A new luxury rental development is now leasing in Madison. Several floor plan options are available in e Bradley, ranging from 710-square-foot, one-bedroom, one bathroom units, up to 1,140-square- foot, two-bedroom, two bath units with an office nook. One-bedroom rents start at $2,600 per month with two-bedroom rents starting at $2,900 a month. e energy-efficient apartments feature a rooop deck with barbecue area, indoor bike storage, fitness center and dog wash area. e property is owned by brothers Jerry, Stephen and Russell Davis of Davis Realty Inc. Trumbull A Trumbull office building has been sold for $1.9 million. e three-story, 18,800-square- foot building sitting on 1 acre at 4154 Madison Ave., was sold by Professional Offices of Trumbull LLC and Laura Noonan based out of Scituate, Mass., to Turkey Point Commercial LLC and Eli Wilamowsky of Lawrence, N.Y. e broker was Angel Commercial LLC. Built in 1985, the plaza has under- gone multiple recent capital improve- ments, including new mechanicals and roof, a repaved parking lot, and reno- vated hallways, stairwells and common area restrooms. e property has an appraised value of $1.7 million. North Haven Design Specialties Inc. has leased a new space in North Haven for its plas- tic tableware manufacturing facility. Previously located in Hamden, the new location is a 3,750-square-foot 4154 Madison Ave., Trumbull. PHOTO | COSTAR 51 Giles Ave., North Haven. PHOTO | COSTAR space in a 50,000-square-foot, multi- tenant complex at 51 Giles Ave. Founded in 1983, Design Specialties makes plastic reusable tableware for correctional facilities, hospitals and schools globally. Stephen Press, of Hamden-based Press|Cuozzo Realtors, represented De- sign Specialties, and the owners, D.F.C. of Giles Avenue LLC, in the long-term lease. Meriden 1 West Main St., Meriden. PHOTO | COSTAR A Meriden office building has been sold for more than $1.5 million. Star City West Main LLC and Michael Livi of Great Neck, N.Y., bought the building at 1 West Main St., for $1.53 million from Meriden Property LLC, Melville Partners and Greenwich-based Sands Brothers Asset Management LLC in a deal recorded Nov. 28. e four-story, 41,850-square-foot property, which was built in 1973, sits on more than three-quarters of an acre in a central downtown location near State, Pratt and Hanover streets, the Meriden train station, bus stops and City Hall. e now-vacant building was once home to the Department of Children and Families and Social Security Ad- ministration. It features retail sites on Continued on page 28

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