The owner of Tri-Town Plaza is endorsing Democratic First Selectman candidate Paul Roy in next month’s election, believing Roy will be easier to work with than current office holder Robert Koskelowski.
Ron Spector, owner of the shopping plaza off Route 8, said Thursday that he feels he will have a better chance of working something at the shopping center with Roy in charge than he has with Koskelowski, the eight-term Republican incumbent.
“I’m hoping to get someone I can work with. I just want a partner in Seymour interested in working with Tri-Town,” said Spector, of Lake Tahoe, Nev. “The last time I was in town, we had lunch and discussed the issues. He was eager to hear what we could do and wanted to see about getting new people (in the plaza). He’s willing to work with me and willing to discuss issues.”
Tri-Town’s redevelopment has been held up for nearly six years because of litigation.
Spector and his Connecticut Properties Tri-Town Plaza LLC are contesting the plaza’s property assessment in state Superior Court in New Britain. Tri-Town Plaza has 98,000 square feet of vacant space since Ames closed in 2002 and Adams Super Food Store left in 2003.
Spector said Koskelowski has been unwilling to talk with him about settling matters, making it hard to attract new tenants.
“I think the issue is about bringing investment to Seymour and having a partner to work with,” Spector said. “Our family has been investing in Seymour for 50 years and the first selectman has been difficult to work with.”
Republican Town Committee Chairman William Paecht called Spector’s endorsement of Roy “a smokescreen” for his inability to work with the Koskelowski administration to get the building and the land fixed.
“The town has offered many times to work with (Spector). We’re willing to work with him, but him being an absentee landlord, he hasn’t given us the opportunity to work with him.”
Paecht added that the assessment challenge should not hinder him from finding tenants to occupy the plaza.
“Why would that stop him from trying to rent it?” Paecht said. “Why wouldn’t he go out and rent the building? If you have a viable tenant, sure the town will be willing to sit down and work with you. But you have to bring something to the table. It’s still empty.”
Roy, a member of the Board of Selectmen, said Tri-Town’s redevelopment is the number one issue among the 2,000 voters he’s visited on the campaign trail. While Roy is not guaranteeing anything to Spector, he said he would listen to Spector and try to find out a solution that works for Spector and the town.
“We’re losing out on tax dollars and we’re losing more tax dollars because he (Spector) can’t improve the property,” he said. “People want to be able to stop into town and get things. We have to improve the quality of life.”
The Democrats running for office held a rally at the Tri-Town Plaza Saturday to spread the word about the endorsement.
Koskelowski could not be reached for comment last week.
