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East Haven economic development director previews new restaurant, pharmacy-site reuse and Foxon firehouse work
Summary
At its January meeting the East Haven Economic Development Commission heard a director's report on a new Nigerian restaurant opening on Main Street, efforts to repurpose closed pharmacy sites amid parking constraints, and construction work at the Foxon firehouse with blasting scheduled to start, and discussed recruitment and parking strategies for future tenants.
Lori Maiorado, chair of the East Haven Economic Development Commission, called the commission to order and opened a director's report that outlined recent and upcoming development activity in town. The director described a mix of small-business openings and larger site-reuse conversations that the commission sees as potential catalysts for downtown revitalization.
The director said a new restaurant called Adah at 212 Main Street has an approved sign and has begun a soft opening, offering takeout Tuesday through Thursday and dining Friday through Sunday, with full service expected by March. "They're very excited," the director said of the restaurant's owners, adding that the cuisine is authentic Nigerian and that menu items include jollof rice and fufu (referred to in conversation as "swallow").
Commissioners discussed the recent closures of several national pharmacy locations and active talks with owners and agents about repurposing those buildings. The director warned that parking is a major constraint for reusing large pharmacy footprints as restaurants or other hour-long-visit uses and said some potential deals are moving toward completion. "Parking is going to be something where we get creative," the director said, noting rear and side parking and the need to evaluate whether large footprints can be subdivided to attract smaller tenants.
The report also covered work at the Foxon firehouse. The director described a press event for the new firehouse and said construction is underway: "Blasting will begin on Tuesday," and the permit allows for a 30-day window for that phase of work, with foundations and infrastructure already being put in place. Commissioners said the project has been long anticipated and could help trigger additional interest in nearby parcels.
Members discussed other redevelopment targets such as Thompson Plaza, where the director said outreach to the owner continues and that successful redevelopment there could change the town's commercial prospects. The director also flagged a reported exclusivity agreement for a plaza tenant that may limit the ability to add another restaurant in that specific location, a constraint commissioners said they must consider in recruitment efforts.
The commission did not take formal land-use action at the meeting; the director noted that a planning-and-zoning public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4 on a proposed text amendment to regulate accessory outdoor dining areas. The meeting record shows the commission approved the minutes earlier in the session; a motion to adjourn was made at the end of the agenda and the meeting concluded, but no detailed roll-call tally for the adjournment vote appears in the transcript.
Next steps noted in the discussion include continued outreach to property owners and targeted recruitment of smaller tenants and food-service operators, and coordination with planning and zoning on the February public hearing.
