Supermarket. Trader Joe’s. Christmas Tree Shops.
Now that the town has settled a lawsuit over a portion of the Tri-Town Plaza, remaining merchants want to see something happen there.
“It would be great if a nice business went in there to draw people to the plaza,’‘ said Annette Robinson, manager of the Bushi Ban Martial Arts & Fitness.
“It’s been empty so long, so I hope what ever goes in there offers something for everyone,’‘ she said.
On Tuesday, Seymour officials and plaza owner Ron Spector agreed to a deal that lowers the assessment on a portion of the plaza and gives him a $170,780 tax refund.
Spector, in return, voluntarily withdrew his appeal Wednesday in Superior Court in Milford right before the case was to go to trial. Article continues after the poll.
In 2005, Spector said he did not agree with the town’s $7 million asssessement of his 103,597 square-foot building that is vacant and once housed Ames Department Store and Adams Supermarket.
Spector thought his building should have only been assessed at $3 million because it is 50 years old, so he appealed the assessment in Superior Court.
Under the agreement, Spector agreed to a reduced assessment of $4.5 million for the building, which is a part of six parcels within the Tri-Town Plaza on Derby Avenue.
Merchants want to see the empty building filled, including Shpresa Suma, who works at Alberto’s Restaurant and Pizzeria in the plaza.
Suma said there aren’t any supermarkets nearby and said she would like to see one move into the space that once housed Adams Supermarket.
“I think it would help all the business here,’‘ she said.
Currently at the plaza is a restaurant, liquor store, martial arts center, hair salon, Subway, Dunkin Donuts and Entertainment Cinemas.
The occupied stores sit on opposite ends of the strip mall. Large former anchor stores sit vacant in the middle like missing front teeth.
A Dunkin Donuts is in the front of the mall and is free standing.
Drew Shinglar, owner of Drew’s Discount Liquors, said his customers have been talking about the settlement.
They’d like to see some type of “food source,’‘ occupy the space.
“It would be nice to see like a Trader Joes, or a Christmas Tree Shop here,’‘ Shinglar said. “We’d all like to see some movement here and I think it would benefit the merchants and town residents.”
Spector said he is actively pursuing tenants for the space and said he would like to see something like a farmer’s market with other vendors in the space, along with a food court.
He said however, he would not be able to pursue this without some kind of financial backing. He is expected to meet with town officials at a later date to talk about plans for the site.