Following years of decline in traffic and an exodus of major retail chains, the former Acme Mall property at Putnam and Dixwell avenues in Hamden is experiencing something resembling a rebirth.
A Porter & Chester Institute technical school will open in early 2019, bring hundreds of students and more than 70 jobs to Putnam Place, including up to 10 new teaching positions. Porter & Chester, which offers programs in automotive technology, computer and networking, HVAC and more, will relocate to Hamden from its Branford campus and roughly double in size.
Porter & Chester was formerly the Connecticut School of Electronics in New Haven. Following relocation the school will operate three shifts of classes, bringing new life to Putnam Place during both day and evening hours, according to Dale Kroop, Hamden’s director of economic and neighborhood development.
Also, a new CVS Pharmacy will be built at the corner of Putnam and Dixwell avenues, replacing the current building on the site. Construction for the new CVS was approved at the Dec. 11 meeting of the Hamden Planning & Zoning Commission. Two tenants of the existing building on the site will relocate to other locations in Hamden, Kroop said. The new 14,000-square-foot structure is scheduled to open some time in 2019. New jobs will be created at this location, according to Kroop.
Owned by DLC Management of Tarrytown, N.Y., which owns and manages retail facilities throughout the eastern U.S., Putnam Place began life as the Acme Mall, an indoor shopping mall that housed Kenny’s Pumpernickel Pub, King’s Department Store. Acme Mall underwent a major transformation in the 1970s when the indoor mall was razed and replaced by a strip mall christened Putnam Place.
“I am very pleased to welcome both Porter & Chester Institute and a new CVS location to our wonderful town, and to thank each for their strong confidence in Hamden’s economy,” said Kroop, whose office worked with DLC, the new tenants and the Business Express initiative of the state’s Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD).
“We have worked hard to bring forth a development that is realistic and provides needed jobs and services for the community,” added Kroop. “It’s been a long time coming, but this plan is a huge win in terms of job creation and tax base growth for the town of Hamden.”
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A 3,500-square-foot former firehouse at 9 S. Cherry St., Wallingford, has been acquired by ASG Information Technologies for $435,000. Built in 1890, the two-story structure was later converted to office use. Stephen Press, SIOR and Elina Katsman of Press/Cuozzo represented seller the Branford Investment group in the deal, while David MacLennan of Calcagni Associates represented the buyer.
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Austin Holding Corp. has purchased the two-story Colonial-style commercial building at 25-27 Boston St., Guilford, from Bible Hill Associates LLC. Purchase price for the building, which houses offices and retail on the ground floor and apartments on the second, is reported to be “in excess of” $480,000. Cheryl Morris and Kevin Geenty of the Geenty Group represented Bible Hill Associates, while Austin Holding was represented by Tom Clancy of William Pitt Sotheby’s Madison office.
Contact Michael C. Bingham at mbingham@newavenbiz.com
