NORTH HAVEN

The subject of economic development in North Haven remains a strong priority for First Selectman Mike Freda, who spoke with The Courier about several major projects which he is determined to see through in town.

One major project coming to North Haven is the construction of a new Hampton Inn hotel location at 700 Universal Drive. The project was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2019, but faced delays in construction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Very few people were staying in hotels, so the hotel couldn't get the financing for the construction. But now, all that's in order, and that hotel's in the process of being built,” said Freda.

Freda said that as of early August, the timeline for the hotel’s construction was slated to between 12 and 13 months. This will now be the second hotel in town, along with the Best Western Plus on Washington Avenue. The first selectman said the new Hampton Inn hotel can provide more hospitality options for people in the corporate sphere who need a place to stay and do proximate business.

“The reason I tried to pursue a hotel [is because] there’s a lot of large companies who fly their executives into these businesses in North Haven,” said Freda. “The executives from these companies have said to me they wish there was another hotel in the southern part of town, so they keep their executives in North Haven rather than stay in other cities. This hotel would solve that problem.”

Freda also mentioned a “significant investment” with another major project coming to North Haven by Medtronic over the next five years, estimating the cost of that project to be between $750 million and $1 billion. The investment will occur at the existing site of the company at 60 Middletown Avenue with the addition of a new campus and new medical personnel to be trained on “the latest surgical equipment and devices that Medtronic produces,” he said.

“It has now become a worldwide company with headquarters here in North Haven. That's a big thing,” said Freda.

A project coming to the more southerly side of Washington Avenue by the end of the year is a 4,000-square-foot highway rest stop type of store which will be established by Forbes Premium Fuel. Along with gas and diesel pumps, there will be a store which will serve grocery and convenience products such as breakfast and luncheon items, according to Freda. The project will be positioned across the North Haven Fairgrounds and the Best Western and will be adjacent to North Haven Auto Body.

The Forbes and the Hampton Inn projects are two of several examples of filling in vacancies across town—a priority in Freda’s overall economic development strategy. In these vacancies, the first selectman is looking at possibilities in manufacturing, industrial warehouse space, and other companies to fulfill the empty lots. One of the current goals is trying to “find a solution for the Stop & Shop Plaza, where there's still a lot of vacancies there.”

New developments in food service have been fulfilled, including the Volo Restaurant & Lounge, which filled a 6,000-square feet vacancy at 117 Washington Avenue and is “a new, unique, dynamic restaurant that's different than anything else in North Haven,” Freda said.

Freda added that the success of the Jersey Mike’s Subs establishment at 410 Universal Drive motivated its franchisee to open up its newest location at 146 Washington Avenue. The second establishment, which opened its doors on Aug. 7, is an addition to the plaza of the same address and furthers Freda’s goal of seeing through development along Washington Avenue, specifically its northern section.

Freda mentioned vacancies to fill at the former Sip’s Coffee location at 585 Washington Avenue, Dino’s Seafood at 323 Washington Avenue, and some at the Kimberly Plaza.

“My goal...is to try to find solutions for those properties,” said Freda.

The prospects of development in the northern part of Washington Avenue will be potentially increased thanks to incoming infrastructural upgrades at the Northeast Fire Station at 366 Washington Avenue, as previously reported in The Courier. Town and public safety officials see these upgrades as bolstering emergency response time and capabilities in immediate areas of the route where future developments will need such services from the North Haven Fire Department.

Even more development may be on the horizon as Freda prepares to unveil his vision for a “destination district” in North Haven. This would include restaurants, a coffee shop, a bakery, a small grocery store, and a green space with a gazebo where concerts can be staged. To illustrate, he compared this district to Blue Back Square in West Hartford.

Freda plans to unveil the details of the district, including its location in town, at public meetings which will be held early this fall.

The various financial benefits and outcomes of all these new and upcoming developments do not escape Freda, who recognizes both their financial benefit for the town and its residents, along with the “unintended consequence” of results such as greater traffic flow due to big-name companies opening stores.

“That’s a dilemma I have in balancing that. But there's room for more development here, and my job also includes growing the grant list to reduce the tax burden for the residents in subsequent years,” Freda said.