Silver Lane Plaza tenants concerned about use of eminent domain

Collin Atwood, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·3 min read

Aug. 26—EAST HARTFORD — Silver Lane Plaza tenants expressed their concerns about the possibility of using eminent domain to acquire the long-blighted shopping center during a Redevelopment Agency public hearing Thursday.

A redevelopment plan for Silver Lane, based on a study done by Goman & York, was approved by the Town Council on Aug. 2. The plan focuses on the plaza because of its deteriorating conditions and negative impact on surrounding businesses.

But tenants within the plaza believe their businesses are finally recovering from the pandemic and doing better than ever.

Herman Todd, owner of Living Word Imprints, said this has been the best year for his business and he loves his location on Silver Lane.

"I really don't know what the issues are, but I just hope that whatever it is, you guys will consider the tenants," he added.

Splinting Solutions, owned by Judy Sheehan, has been located in the plaza for 20 years. Sheehan said that no matter what happens, the tenants need to be prioritized.

"It's taken us a while to get through COVID," Catherine Lim, owner of Tooth Time Dentistry, said. "For us to have to move and relocate, it would devastate us and we probably would not be able to do the work."

Clayton Corto, owner of Bare Bones Boxing, said that the plaza isn't as empty as people think and that by 5 p.m., the lot could have up to 50 cars parked there. He said he'd rather stay where he is and figure out a better solution.

Mayor Mike Walsh said he wanted to make it clear that the town has no intention of harming any of the tenants within plaza and the goal is to improve the property and preserve the businesses. He said if the town were to take ownership of the shopping center, all of the existing leases would be honored.

The property is owned by Leon Chen, the registered agent for East Hartford Venture LLC. Walsh said an offer was sent to Chen, but the town has not received any communication from him.

A town can only take private property using eminent domain if it plans to convert it into property with public use and it fairly compensates the previous owner.

According to the redevelopment plan, the appraised value of the plaza is around $2.4 million.

Walsh and Town Council Chairman Richard Kehoe both agreed that this is a step in the process towards a better future for the Silver Lane corridor. They said the apartment complex being built at the old Showcase Cinemas site and the development going in just south of Rentschler Field will bring more customers to the businesses in the area.

Kehoe said nothing has been done to the property in the last six years and it's time to bring in investors who have the same vision for the face of East Hartford.

"East Hartford is in the midst of a significant economic recovery and we have momentum on our side," Walsh said. "Our community deserves better and those businesses in the plaza deserve better."

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