After recent sales of several of his most prominent apartment developments in New Britain, developer Avner Krohn is once again investing in the blue-collar city’s downtown, with a $1.5 million purchase of two neighboring office and retail buildings.
In a deed recorded May 19, Krohn acquired the adjacent properties at 2-26 Main St. and 3 Franklin Square, along with a small abutting parcel at 12 Glen St.
The seller was a limited liability company headed by James F. Calciano, of Farmington.
The quarter-acre property at 2-26 Main St. contains a two-story, 16,326-square-foot brick building with ground-floor retail space. The neighboring 0.05-acre parcel at 3 Franklin Square contains a two-story, 3,045-square-foot brick building. Both buildings date to 1900, according to city records.
Located across Franklin Square from a state office building and the New Britain Superior Court, the buildings sit within walking distance of several apartment developments Krohn has completed or is developing.
Krohn said the previous owner maintained the buildings well and they require little more than cosmetic improvements. He said he has no plans to convert the largely occupied office and retail properties, which he believes will benefit from the growing residential population downtown.
The buildings were nearly fully leased at the time of sale, with just two vacant retail spaces. One has already been leased, leaving about 1,000 square feet still available, he said.
“It’s just a great location that supports everything we are doing downtown,” Krohn said.
The acquisition follows a series of major property sales by Krohn over the past several months.
At the beginning of this year, Krohn sold The Brit, a 107-unit apartment building completed in 2024, for $31.07 million. Three months later, he sold the neighboring 114-unit Highrailer apartment building for $30.75 million.
In February, Krohn also sold The Andrews, a former office building converted into 20 apartments above ground-floor restaurant space, for $4.5 million.
Earlier this year, Krohn listed the former post office building at 114 West Main St. for sale. He purchased the 36,500-square-foot building for $775,000 in 2022 and renovated it, including the construction of a roughly 6,000-square-foot office for Jasko Development, Krohn’s real estate company.
Despite those sales, Krohn continues to expand his downtown presence. Construction is underway on his 100-unit apartment redevelopment of the former Strand Theater site, which he recently said remains on track for completion in early summer 2027.
