Committee recommends sale of 214–216 Martha St. to local buyer with renovation and residency covenants

The Hartford Planning, Economic Development and Housing Committee voted Aug. 3 to send a favorable recommendation to the full City Council to sell 214–216 Martha Street to Cheryl Thompson and Anselm Peter Home Improvements LLC for $30,000, subject to conditions intended to require renovation and encourage local homeownership.

Assistant Director of Economic Development William Diaz told the committee the property is a “vacant blighted property that the city acquired back in December 2023,” and said the purchaser applied after driving past the house and asking questions. Diaz said the buyer and contractor proposed paying $30,000 and estimated roughly $350,000 in renovation costs to return the three‑family building to active use.

The term sheet Diaz outlined includes three enforcement features: the city will take title to the property at transfer with a right of re‑entry if renovations are not completed within the agreed timeline; a restriction on immediate resale so the buyer cannot sell before performing required work; and a covenant requiring the buyer to live in the property for at least five years after renovations are complete. Diaz told the committee the city would require repayment of the difference between current fair‑market value (roughly $108,000, he said) and the $30,000 purchase price if the city later permits a sale.

Cheryl Thompson, who identified herself as a Hartford native and the proposed purchaser, told the committee she has experience partnering on home renovations and said she intends either to sell to a first‑time buyer in Greater Hartford or to rent to Hartford residents once renovations are complete. Contractor Anselm Peter of Anselm Peter Home Improvements LLC said he has completed multiple rehabs in the region and planned to work with Thompson on the project.

Committee members asked about the renovation timeline and sale price after rehab. Thompson said the estimated renovation period is about three months, and she said she intends to set an affordable asking price for a buyer. Committee members also asked Diaz to connect Thompson and the contractor with housing‑department programs for first‑time buyers and down‑payment assistance.

The committee placed a motion to send the resolution forward with a favorable recommendation; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote with no opposition or abstentions recorded.

The committee’s recommendation will go to the full Hartford City Council for final approval. If the council approves and the transfer proceeds, the term sheet gives the city tools to enforce renovation milestones and the post‑rehab occupancy and resale provisions described to the committee.