The September reopening of the former Romano’s Macaroni Grill as Sakura, a Japanese steak house, is likely the first stage of an ambitious remake of West Hartford’s Bishops Corner. The storied commercial hub has been under pressurefrom nearby Blue Back Square.
All four commercial corners at the junction of Albany Avenue/Route 44 and North Main Street are packed with independent and chain stores, restaurants, office buildings and parking places.
But the standout arguably is the southwest corner, anchored by a retail complex that houses a Marshall’s, iParty, Sleepy’s, and an office building.
Edens & Avant, a Columba, S.C., real estate developer-investor, has owned the corner property since 1998. Its Web site claims the complex contains more than 250,000 square feet.
Actually, it consists of two centers: Bishops Corner, with Marshall’s, Blockbuster, D’Angelos and others occupying 123,663 square feet; and Bishops Corner West, with the Macaroni Grill, Sleepy’s, iParty, the office building, occupying 128,245 square feet.
On its Web site, E&A acknowledges work is under way to renovate the 1970s-era plaza, including decorative landscaping and lighting schemes, restaurants with outdoor seating, a complete remodel of the office space and a fresh look for the building façade.
Spokesman Robbie Robertson declined to go into more detail, especially on what all these improvements will cost E&A. One estimate puts the cost at about $10 million.
“There are many moving parts in the redevelopment process,’’ Robertson said in an e-mail, “and we look forward to revealing our comprehensive plans in the very near future.’’
Like other commercial sites in West Hartford, Bishops Corner is having to respond to the tug on consumers from Blue Back Square, located just over two miles away.
Back when Blue Back was on the drawing board and the economy hummed, Bishops Corner’s handlers had more ambitious plans for remaking the center, realty observers say.
In one iteration, the vacant supermarket that housed Finast, later Adam’s Food, was gutted, topped with a second floor, and reopened as a Target or other large retailer.
In addition, the multilevel parking deck would have been expanded to accommodate even more automobiles, perhaps additional shops and restaurants.
In all, E&A’s Bishops Corner upgrades would have approached $100 million, said one source who asked not to be identified. However, those plans were tabled by the recession, observers say.
Empty space filling up in Branford
East Coast Valve Services Inc. leased space at 31 Eastern Steel Road for maintenance and repair on industrial valves and actuators.
Landlord Connors Properties leased a 2,200-square-foot industrial unit to East Coast Valve, based in Chesapeake, Va.
Also in Branford, two Nepalese brothers from New York, Gyanu and Kedar Shrestha, leased 2,400 square feet at 1098 Main St. for a day spa they will open in August. Landlord is 1094-1100 Main Street Realty Associates.
At 13 Beaver Road, Century Business Archives leased 23,141 square feet to warehouse documents and records.
Joan G. Adams Appointment Trust is landlord.
The Geenty Group Realtors represented all three landlords as well as East Coast Valves and Century Business Archives.
Coldwell Banker Real Estate in Branford represented the Shresthas.
Greg Seay is the Hartford Business Journal web editor.
