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

Business Buzz is sponsored by NBT Bank, and we are very thankful for their support! 

By Ronni Newton

Happy Spring! I can’t believe that I forgot to mention in last week’s column that spring would officially arrive early Thursday morning. There are daffodils already blooming outside the window of my home office, and the bright yellow makes me so happy even though I know there are still going to be cold and windy days (like Sunday and today) interspersed with the nicer weather.

The baseball season opens this week, another sure sign of spring!

On Saturday morning I joined Jen Evans from WHCi at Charter Oak International Academy for our annual presentation to the PLTI (Parent Leadership Training Institute) cohort about the media. The program is run by the Bridge Family Center, and the participants are all learning skills for becoming community leaders and all work on projects as part of the program. It’s always a great group of people and I look forward to sharing more details about their advocacy and community-based projects in the near future!

Friday and Saturday were 100% great basketball days for my teams, and I was hopeful that the magic of my Shamrock socks would continue to bring the UConn men luck as they did when I wore them to watch every NCAA March Madness tournament game that the UConn men played since March 2023. (I do wash them in between all games, in case you were wondering.) They worked on Friday, when the UConn men pulled off a tough win, but alas the streak was broken after win No. 13 when UConn lost to Florida on Sunday. Maybe the magic has shifted to the Duke men, who looked really dominant in their first two games of the tournament. The Duke women are in the Sweet 16, too – and I will keep rooting for them along with the UConn women. The women’s teams would not face each other until the championship game, and I’ll deal with that conflict if it comes. I’d certainly bet on UConn having the better chance this year in the women’s, but you never know.

Millie has been wearing her lucky UConn bandana since the tournament started, and I’ll keep that on her in support of the UConn womens team!

We had a fabulous dinner at Union Kitchen on Saturday night. The service was excellent, and, as Ted said, the food was scrumptious! I concur – the fritters and endive salad were unique and delicious, and our main dishes were also excellent.

On Sunday morning I covered the annual Johnny’s Jog for Charity. I’ve never actually run the race, but I am pretty sure I have reported on it every year since it started in 2011 and it’s always heartwarming to see such a great outpouring of community spirit for what has become a favorite event each March. I had to dig out the hand warmers again because it was cold and windy, but that did not deter participants! The story and lots of photos can be found here.

Don’t be a troll; follow the rules. Below is our new troll monitor that Business Manager Bob Carr created with some help from ChatGPT. He’s watching for those who attempt to comment without their full name, or using a fake email, or with personal attacks. He may be emailing you soon …

If you are a long term, regular advertiser on We-Ha.com and have a 60 to 75 word submission for a future Business Buzz please send to Bob Carr at [email protected]. You can also contact Bob if you are interested in becoming a sponsor of a section of the site.

If you have information to share about local businesses, please provide details in the comments or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

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Here’s this week’s Buzz:

• Last week I featured a photo of a tree in the lead item in this column, and this week it’s a vacant lot. It’s not just any old lot, though; 931 Farmington Avenue is not only an eyesore, but it’s pretty much the last piece of completely vacant property in West Hartford Center, and it’s for sale! I used to get questions all the time about what, if anything, would be happening there, and while we don’t have any real answers yet, that may soon change because the property is now up for sale for $799,000 and being marketed as “ideally suited for re-development.” In August 2022 I took a photo of this same 0.22-acre lot, which is on the corner of Farmington and Raymond Road, between Jefferson Radiology and Modern Tire, because I saw that there was a large piece of machinery surrounded by construction fencing, and I was excited thinking that it was finally going to be developed. At the time the lot was still owned Socony Mobil Oil Co, Inc. (aka Exxon Mobil) – and had been for nearly 100 years. It was formerly a Mobil gas station, and I learned back in 2022 from Economic Development Coordinator Kristen Gorski that the work taking place was additional environmental remediation under a long-standing permit. In January 2023, the property was purchased as part of a nationwide portfolio for $8,527 by P&L Investments, which states on its website that the company is an “investment banking, asset management firm and brownfield developer located in Washington, D.C. We have an diverse expertise with the acquisition, management, and work out of non-performing and sub-performing assets, including brownfields.” P&L Investments is now looking to sell the lot. “I know that due to the site being a former gas station, there were requirements to remediate the property,” Gorski said last week. The contamination was in the soil, and while she did not have the specifics, she noted that “consistent with most sites that have been cleaned up there was a need to do soil testing and water well monitoring for a period of time.” On Friday I spoke with Steven Stollman, the commercial real estate broker handling the sale for P&L Investments, who told me that there was replacement of previously-contaminated soil on the site. The property listing states, “The site is undergoing ground water monitoring and a $1M environmental insurance policy was purchased for the site and any future owner.” While the current condition of the property will be subject to review by environmental regulators, Stollman said, “The next step is to see what’s going on with the monitoring wells” in the hope that the level of contamination has decreased. The property is located in the CBDH zone (central business district), meaning future use could include a variety of uses, including retail, service, and office occupancies – some of which could be built “as of right,” and other uses which might require a Special Use Permit. “From my perspective, it’s a key parcel in the center that the town would love to see revitalized,” Gorski said. “The site does come with challenges, mainly being the size, which is less than a quarter acre. The parcel size limits the ability for proposed reuse to meet minimum zoning standards, especially as it relates to parking, which impacts the feasibility of a project. Additionally, its position as a corner lot close to an intersection poses some site challenges for redevelopment,” Gorski added. There is already interest in the property, which was first listed on Loopnet in early February, Stollman said. “We recognize it’s a high profile property and we’d love to see someone develop something that’s a contribution to the community and would further enhance the central business district area,” he said.

• West Hartford’s newest Starbucks is now open, and is the chain’s second store with a drive-through in West Hartford. Located at 415 South Main Street (in the complex also occupied by the Corporate Center West office building and a Hartford HealthCare clinic), Starbucks opened early last week. Hours are Monday through Friday’s 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. It has more seating than many of the other local Starbucks locations – 39 inside and a 26-seat outdoor patio. The West Hartford Town Council approved the plans for this specific Starbucks back in November 2o22, with the Council approval needed because it’s part of a Special Development District that was formed 50 years earlier. It was also the first proposal to make use a new drive-through ordinance that the Town Council crafted with bipartisan collaboration that was approved unanimously in September 2021. There are now six Starbucks stores in West Hartford, including one that recently opened inside the Macy’s at Westfarms, and one other in town with a drive-through, at 25 Kane Street where a D’Angelos Sandwich Shop had previously been located. Another new Starbucks recently opened near Target and Costco, but although it’s not far from the town line it’s technically in New Britain.

• Congratulations to Greg Confessore, owner of longtime family-owned West Hartford business Cricket Press, which was named the Small Business Administration‘s Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Small Business of the Year “It is an honor to celebrate Connecticut’s outstanding small business owners, whose accomplishments standout amongst their peers. This years’ award winners embody the grit and determination it takes to succeed in pursuing the American Dream,” Catherine Marx SBA’s Connecticut District Director, said in the announcement of the Connecticut Small Business Week 2025 Awardees. “Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the fabric of our communities, strengthening local economies and creating jobs, all the while contributing to our nation’s economic strength.” Peter A. Steele, SBA New England Regional Administrator, said in the announcement that“National Small Business Week honors the risk takers, innovators and job creators that are the backbone of the American economy. I congratulate the winners in Connecticut for this well-deserved recognition and their role in in fueling prosperity, spurring growth and creating job opportunities across Connecticut and New England.” This year’s Connecticut Small Business Week is being held in collaboration with the CBIA. “Connecticut is the land of small business, representing more than 99% of all businesses in the state – employing nearly half the state’s workforce,” said CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima. Winners will be officially honored at the Small Business Resource Expo and award ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 8, at Woodwinds, Branford, CT. Registration information can be found here.

• Lux Bond & Green’s CEO, John Green, was recently honored with the prestigious GEM Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 23rd annual Jewelers of America GEM Awards in New York. This distinguished honor celebrates his passion, dedication, and lasting impact on the industry. As a fourth-generation leader, Green, who is a West Hartford resident, continues to build on Lux Bond & Green’s legacy while embracing the future. He accepted the award surrounded by family, colleagues, and more than 600 members of the jewelry community. The GEM Awards is the industry’s premier gala, raising the visibility of fine jewelry and watches while bringing together top influencers and luminaries. This year’s event also recognized excellence in design, retail, and media, celebrating the industry’s brightest talents. More information can be found here.

• Thanks to West Hartford resident Blake Ellavsky, a certified commercial drone pilot (as part of FAA Part 107), who shared the below aerial views of the future site of The Residences at Heritage Park. He captured these shots about two weeks ago, and sent them to me this past week after reading about the start of construction at the site (now known as 1360 Trout Brook Drive, formerly known as 1700 Asylum Avenue) in last week’s Business Buzz column. He said he will share future photos as the work progresses, and I look forward to publishing them!

• For 113 years, Girl Scouts of Connecticut has served as the preeminent organization best positioned to help girls develop important leadership skills to become future changemakers. This underlying mission was best exemplified on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, when the nonprofit organization hosted its annual Girl Scouts at the Capitol Day, a program designed to offer a deep dive into state government and teach members the importance of civic engagement and public service. Specifically, 93 area Girl Scouts heard inspiring messages from Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, four state senators, and 12 state representatives, as well as the executive director and staff from the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity and League of Women Voters in the House Chambers at the Connecticut State Capitol Building. The event coincided with Women’s History Month, as well as National Girl Scout Week. Among the participating legislators was state Rep. Kate Farrar (D-West Hartford, Newington), second from left in the photo below. “We are absolutely ecstatic with the amazing turnout for our recent Girl Scouts at the Capitol Day, the first time offering it since the pandemic in 2019,” said Elicia Pegues Spearman, chief executive officer at Girl Scouts of Connecticut. “Nearly 100 Girl Scout members learned the inner workings of state government, the importance of being a public servant and how they can make an impact – even before they can vote!”

• The West Hartford-based Aurora Women and Girls Foundation will hold its 10th Annual 100 Men Campaign celebration, and has announced that Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam will be the keynote speaker. The event will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 8 a.m. at the Mandell Jewish Community Center in West Hartford. Tickets are $150 per person, with proceeds earmarked for Aurora’s community investments, especially its College Success programs and groundbreaking research about women and girls in CT. Space is limited; click here to register.

• ICYMI, Hoffman SummerWood, a senior living community at 160 Simsbury Road, announced last week that it will be closing and the property is being sold. Click here for the complete details.
• Last week the Town Council had planned to conclude a public hearing and vote on the submitted application from Vessel Technologies to redevelop 29 Highland Street, but there is concern among town staff and others about fire safety issues related to the unique construction style and process. The hearing has been continued to late April, when it’s hoped that questions can be resolved. Read the full story here.
• Congratulations to former Town Council and Board of Education member Clare Kindall on her new role as interim head of the EEC. Click here for the story.
• Congrats to Caregiver of the Year Nana Darko Amoateng of West Hartford. Details can be found here.

Remember, if you have any business news to share, add it in the comments section below or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

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