West Hartford Business Buzz: April 6, 2015

A round-up of openings, closings, and other news about West Hartford businesses.

By Ronni Newton

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and a Happy Easter and Happy Passover to those who celebrate!

Daffodil update to come later this week. I thought they would be in bloom by now, but I think we need just one more day of sunshine.

The new paper covering the windows at the former Ann Taylor store looks very much like West Elm imagery. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

If you have tips about businesses opening or closing, or doing something worth sharing, please provide that information in the comments or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

Here’s this week’s Buzz:

We are still hoping to get more concrete information about West Elm opening in Blue Back Square, but if you have cruised by the former Ann Taylor store in the past few days, you may have noticed the new turquoise paper with very “West Elm” type images now covering the windows. Some of the panels say “Be Excited.” Full details to come as soon as we get them.
According to Director of Community Services Mark McGovern, Delamar has now applied for its first building permits for site mobilization, which includes fencing, site trailer, etc. “It is under review and should be issued very soon. I expect to see them working on the site within the next week or so,” McGovern said on Friday. Before the actual hotel construction begins, there will be several weeks of site remediation, he said.

Überdog owner Dan O’Brien said that additional services will soon be offered thanks to recent 4,000 square foot expansion into an adjoining warehouse space. O’Brien said that Überdog Dog Playcare & Hotel, which is located at 635 New Park Ave., will add grooming and training to its offerings. “This comes at a very exciting time for us as we will be celebrating our 7-year anniversary in April!” O’Brien said in an email. Training classes should begin in late April, he said.
Salons by JC will soon open in the space above Marshall’s in Bishops Corner. Salons by JC is not just a typical salon. The national franchise business will occupy 10,000 square feet, and according to its website, the “fully customizable salon suites are set up to allow you to express your vision while operating your own business with the benefit of a number of different state of the art amenities.” Expect to find a variety of services accessible in the Bishops Corner location.
There’s not usually a lot of business conducted on Easter Sunday, other than restaurant business. Unfortunately that business was stymied in West Hartford Center this year due to a power outage that lasted from just after midnight until 10 p.m. The problem stemmed from an underground fire in Hartford, but the area impacted for the longest included Farmington Avenue, LaSalle Road, and a few other streets surrounding the Center. Click here for the story.