Former West Hartford Holo-Krome manufacturing site, neighboring property, sell to developers for $3M

A pair of developers recently paid $3 million for two West Hartford properties that have been the subject of recent development proposals, including a housing development.

In deeds recorded May 13, limited liability companies tied to West Hartford-based developers David Raisner and Ronald Webber paid $86,000 for the vacant, industrially zoned 0.63-acre property at 230 Newington Road, and $2.41 million for neighboring 60 Brook St., a 13.8-acre vacant property that had previously hosted manufacturing.

The properties were sold by H-K Connecticut Holding Co. LLC. The larger of the two properties had hosted a large industrial building once used by manufacturer Holo-Krome. The building was demolished in 2019.

While the property has sold, the seller is moving forward with plans to clean up past environmental pollution. In a wetlands application filed May 22, the principal of the past owner proposed to remove 830 cubic yards of polluted soil and replace it with clean fill.

The site at 60 Brook St. had been used for manufacturing from the mid-1930s to 2010, according to the wetlands application. The manufacturing facility on-site had grown to 232,802 square feet through repeated additions, and produced more than 7,000 products like Allen wrenches, fasteners and specialty headed products.

In April, the town’s Design Review Advisory Committee reviewed early plans for a 54-unit multifamily development comprising townhomes and flats, to be built on the residentially zoned property at 230 Newington Road, and a portion of the larger industrial property at 60 Brook St.  

The Design Review Advisory Committee is a first stop for development proposals, where ideas are vetted and questions or concerns are raised before a formal submission is submitted for review by town staff. West Hartford Senior Planner Brian Pudlik said no formal application for the development has been submitted.

Also in April, town officials approved, with conditions, a wetlands permit Raisner and Webber sought for a redevelopment of 60 Brook St. into an outdoor contractor storage yard and tractor-trailer parking.

Attempts to reach Raisner and Webber were not immediately successful.