Florist to buy town-owned Main Street parcel

Sep. 16—EAST HARTFORD — A public hearing is set for 7:15 p.m. Tuesday in Town Hall on the proposed sale of a town-owned Main Street property where a multifamily house burned down over a decade ago.

Janet Pearson, owner of Eden's Florist, plans to acquire the now empty neighboring parcel at 1437-1439 Main St. to expand her business.

The parcel consists of an empty grass lot and a two-car garage, but once contained a multi-family home.

In 2009, discarded smoking material in a plastic container caused a fire to erupt on the porch. Over 40 firefighters worked for two hours to extinguish the three-alarm blaze that left 11 people homeless and put one firefighter in the hospital.

Mayor Mike Walsh said the remains of the building were demolished about a month after the incident.

According to Assistant Corporation Counsel Rich Gentile, the town foreclosed on the property in 2015 over delinquent taxes.

The town plans to transfer the property to Pearson by quitclaim deed for $10,000, following the public hearing and a vote by the Town Council. A quitclaim deed allows the town to sell the property without providing a guarantee or warranty of title.

Director of Development Eileen Buckheit stated at a Real Estate Acquisition and Disposition meeting in July that Pearson could receive financial support from the federal pandemic relief small business assistance program.

The money could not be used to purchase the property, but could help with projects related to converting the land and making upgrades.

Buckheit added that the lot should be sold for as little as possible, in consideration of success of the florist business and its value to the whole community.

Collin covers South Windsor and East Hartford for the Journal Inquirer.