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All Together Now
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Business New Haven
3/9/1998
By: Linda Mele
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Broad public-private partnership makes a pioneer of supermarket chain
A $15.3 million shopping center on the corner of Whalley Avenue and Orchard Street will soon be a reality thanks to a public-private partnership that brought together local, state, federal and national development initiatives.
Spearheaded by the vision of the Greater Dwight Development Corp. (GDDC), founded in 1995 “to mobilize the Dwight area's considerable potential” and implement a plan of revitalization developed by more than 200 residents in the Dwight, Edgewood and West River neighborhoods, Dwight Place will be the first commercial Community Development Corp.-owned and -operated shopping center in the state, according to GDDC President Linda Townsend Maier.
“It's an awesome example of what public-private partnerships can accomplish,” Townsend Maier says, “and we hope it will serve as a gateway for growth for the entire city.”
Dwight Place will be anchored by Shaw's Supermarkets, which will occupy 56,470 of the proposed 78,000 square feet of space on the 6.3-acre site that formerly housed McDermott Chevrolet and, more recently, Comcast Cablevision. The plaza is expected to open in June.
Funding for the project was provided by the Office of Community Services-U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Local Initiatives Support Corp. and its affiliate, the Retail Initiative (TRI), and the state.
GDDC has received additional financial and consulting support and technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, the city of New Haven, Yale University and the Hospital of Saint Raphael.
TRI committed more than $3 million to the project; the city helped New York-based McCann Real Equities Development, LLC assemble the property; Yale Law School contributed nearly $150,000 in legal services and OCS provided a $325,000 grant.
At a March 2 press conference, Lt. Gov. Jodi Rell delivered a $1 million state grant to GDDC.
“Too many of us take the convenience of grocery shopping for granted,” Rell said. “Unfortunately, many city residents find grocery shopping less than convenient. They have to travel for miles, usually using public transit, to get the quality and variety that major supermarkets provide.
“Dwight Place will provide much-needed access and affordability in the heart of New Haven,” Rell added. “I am pleased the state is a part of this story.”
While the city is home to many small, independent markets and grocery stores, large chains have never been a part of the landscape. Sure, there was Pegnataro's until the 1980s and, today, a GranCentral Supermarket on York Street, a Super Stop & Shop on Amity Road and Super K mart on Route 80 that features a large grocery department. But the big guys have shied away from the inner city - not just in New Haven, but across the country.
That's all changed and New Haven is part of a nationwide push by large retailers and entertainment giants to develop a presence in the country's inner cities. This in turn is revitalizing blighted urban neighborhoods.
“Inner-city America has witnessed a profound transformation over the past decade,” says TRI President Peter Borges. “Initially, they concentrated on housing [and] today, these revived communities are now focusing more attention on providing goods and services and creating jobs and economic activity.”
“This project has been about more than just bringing a full-scale supermarket and other retail to Whalley Avenue,” said Mayor John DeStefano. “It's about jobs and job training for local residents. This development will create more than 200 new jobs and serve as a positive catalyst to further development.”
“We fully expect that this Shaw's will be one of our [chain's] more successful and profitable stores,” said Shaw's spokesman Bernie Rogan. “The demand is there, the broad community support is there, and the investment by the state, the city and TRI is making this all possible.”
LISC has invested more than $7.5 million in New Haven and attracted more than $17 million in additional private- and public-sector support for initiatives throughout the city. Local LISC supporters include the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, Yale University, First Union Bank, BankBoston, Fleet Bank and New Haven Savings Bank.
In addition to Dwight Place, GDDC is also working on an 8,000-square-foot addition to Dwight Elementary School, youth recreation programs, a day-care facility, and the acquisition and rehabilitation of blighted properties.
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