A major Hartford developer has paid $4.3 million for the 12.5-acre North End lot and 10 buildings that were once the Fuller Brush Company. Shelbourne announced the deal today and said it plans to improve the complex to boost efforts to connect the North End with downtown.
The parcel, located at 3580 Main Street, consists of 10 structures totaling 326,000 square feet, with the historic main structure last renovated in 1997. Three of the structures are currently being used as office/flex/warehouse space and the other six buildings are being used as light industrial/warehouse.
Shelbourne plans to upgrade and improve the property and upgrade property management, the developer said in a statement.
“Located in the North End district of Hartford along the main artery of Main Street, this project is strategically positioned to establish a strong connection between the resurgent growth of the Downtown and the residential communities to the north,” said Shelbourne Managing Member Ben Schlossberg.
Hartford’s Planning and Zoning Commission’s recently dubbed the surrounding North Main Culture Corridor as a top priority with the intent to extend redevelopment northward to the Fuller Brush building.
Shelbourne has met with community group Voices of Women of Color to ensure that the project addresses the needs of the North End community, said COO Michael Seidenfeld.
The complex most recently sold for $3.9 million in 2014 to 3580 MainST LLC, controlled by Robert Contreras, records show. Built in 1922, Fuller Brush ran its headquarters from the Tudor Revival-style building, overseeing thousands of its salesmen who fanned out across the country, hawking its eponymous household-cleaning tool.