505 Main Street, Middletown looks beautiful after extensive reconstruction. Snow from a devastating 2011 snowstorm had caused the third floor to cave in.

Congratulations are in order for CMSC 2012 Property Owner of the Year Award winners Michael DiPiro and Michael Sokolowski, who recently re-opened their doors at 505 Main Street in Middletown. The pair, partners at the accounting firm of Guilmartin, DiPiro and Sokolowski, spent the last 18 months in temporary office space as their Main Street building was reconstructed after collapsing in a devastating snow storm.

On February 2, 2011, Mr. DiPiro and partner Christopher Conley were working in their second floor office when they heard strange noises and discovered a sagging beam on the third floor. They wisely exited the building and called for help. Just as firefighters arrived, the building shook and broke apart, with the entire third floor caving in. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the building was uninhabitable.

After the collapse, support came pouring in. Firefighters helped carry out what could be salvaged. The Downtown Business District, Chamber of Commerce, city workers and residents helped in the clean-up, gave the misplaced tenants storage, and provided other resources to move forward. Local businesses and property owners offered the accounting firm free space until they got back on their feet.

All this support was likely due to the fact that beyond just being property and business owners, Mr. DiPiro and Mr. Sokolowski are also exceptionally community-oriented, and the firm has been involved with numerous local organizations - doing tax returns for non-profits, helping local businesses, and acting as role models for kids. Mr. Sokolowski is also a member and past president of the Exchange Club and Mr. DiPiro serves as Chairman of the Middletown Downtown Business District.

Their stalwart dedication to downtown continued even after the building's collapse. Despite the higher cost of rebuilding, Mr. DiPiro and Mr. Sokolowski decided to stay on Main Street. As Mr. DiPiro put it, "Yes, it would have been easy to stay in our temporary office, but Downtown is the place to be." And so, the rebuilding of 505 Main Street began in October 2011, finishing just days ago. The new building has a classic early 1900's façade with large windows and brick cladding. The first floor is available for retail space and will be the new home to Vietnamese restaurant Lan Chi, while the second and third floors are Class A office space.

For its part, the city of Middletown became a catalyst in the process, realizing the impact on the grand list and voting to grant Mr. DiPiro and Mr. Sokolowski a four-year tax abatement of approximately $135,000. The City also waived all building permit fees, valued at $26,000. In addition, Mr. DiPiro and Mr. Sokolowski received a $1.3 million construction mortgage allowing them to start rebuilding. All together this financing created a win-win-win situation for the downtown, which continues to have viable retail space that attracts visitors; the town, which will reap the tax benefit of these businesses; and owners Mr. DiPiro and Mr. Sokolowski who were able to retain their workers and even expand their business into the new office space.

Read the Hartford Courant's coverage of 505 Main Street's re-opening.

See before and after photos of 505 Main Street, as well as photos of these and other CMSC Award Winners on our Facebook page. You can also read more about the winning initiatives and individuals here.

Re-Mains of the Day 

Mansfield Downtown Partnership: Storrs Center Opening Soon!

Submitted by the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Inc.

 

The Mansfield Downtown Partnership looks forward to welcoming the first residents of Storrs Center! Residents will begin moving into the rental apartments The Oaks on the Square on August 15. The Oaks are fully leased, and residents will move in at scheduled times over a couple of weeks. The first phase of Storrs Center features 127 rental apartments, and the second phase - scheduled to open in August 2013 - will have approximately 160 additional apartments.

One Dog Lane, a mixed-use pedestrian building with commercial spaces on the first floor and rental apartments on the upper floors. It is directly across the street from UConn's School of Fine Arts.

 

In the meantime, businesses are opening on the first floors of the mixed-use buildings which comprise the first phase of Storrs Center. Storrs Automotive and Select Physical Therapy opened in their new locations in May, while Head Husky Barber Styling Shop, Body Language, and Connecticut Travel Planners opened in early August. Coming soon are: Sweet Emotions Candy; Bank of America; Subway; Husky Pizza; Froyoworld; Moe's Southwest Grill; Dog Lane Cafe; Mooyah Burgers and Fries; Insomnia Cookies; and Geno's.

  

Visitors to Mansfield's new downtown will be treated to a wide variety of restaurants, shops, cafés, and public spaces. Storrs Center is a multi-phase project which will be developed over a several year period. For more information, please visit the Mansfield Downtown Partnership's website or the Storrs Center website.

 

 

And remember - a perfect time to visit is during the Partnership's annual Festival on the Green! This year's event is Sunday, September 23 from noon to 5:00 pm at E. O. Smith High School (rain or shine). We hope to see you there!

 

This newsletter is meant to be a vehicle to communicate with our member communities, industry colleagues and generous supporters.  If you have information about events happening in your downtown, captivating pictures of your Main Street or news regarding your organization that you would like to share in our monthly newsletter, please let us know.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

President's Message 

In our July newsletter I talked about how we are growing our relationships with the State and key agencies. This month I'd like to talk about the effects of those relationships and how we're using them to benefit our members. For example, a tangible result of our relationship with the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) was the role we played in bringing eligible communities together and educating them about the Main Street Investment Fund (MSIF), a program designed to assist communities in enhancing their downtowns by providing grants for improvements to municipal properties.

Recognizing our technical assistance expertise and strong relationships with communities throughout the State, namely through our member network, OPM contracted us to promote the Main Street Investment Fund program and provide guidance to applicants. First, we worked closely with OPM, providing input as they designed the application and Fact Sheet, then we convened a series of workshops throughout the State, presenting jointly with Dimple Desai of OPM to educate municipalities about who may apply and project eligibility. Using our extensive contacts, attendance at these workshops numbered well over a hundred people. We continue to offer guidance to potential applicants and assistance to OPM by providing a Frequently Asked Questions reference guide, as well as posting the workshop presentation, sample downtown plans and other helpful documents on our website, as well as fielding phone calls and inquiries. Further recognizing the valuable role we play, OPM has already asked us to assist in the program's second year.

The Main Street Investment Fund program is one example of how we continually and purposely position ourselves to bring together the right people to strengthen and enhance Connecticut's Main Streets. We know that strong downtowns lead to a strong Connecticut, one where people can work and play in interesting, entertaining and economically viable settings. We're proud that our expertise in this arena is recognized by OPM and others, and we look forward to being of continued assistance to our members, especially as our team is now at full capacity. We're ready for the next opportunity - and we're here to make sure you are too.

Connecticut Main Street Center

c/o CL&P

PO Box 270 

Hartford, CT 06141

860/380.2337

www.ctmainstreet.org