Connecticut’s regional market changes hands, gets some updates

Formerly known as the Hartford Regional Market, the Connecticut Regional Market has needed renovations and repairs for years — like several Northeastern wholesale food distribution markets built more than 50 years ago.

Opened in 1948, this market covers 33 acres, with 185,000 square feet of warehouse and refrigerated space, an active railroad spur and 144 stalls in its outdoor farmers market.

It’s the largest perishable food distribution facility between New York and Boston.

And it’s finally getting an update.

In 2019, the Capital Region Development Authority invested $1.1 million in facility improvements, said Joseph Geremia, chief financial officer.

The opportunity arose when the state general assembly passed a bill in 2018 to have the state Department of Agriculture and Markets transfer ownership and operations to the Authority, a quasi-governmental agency that does a lot of redevelopment.

“They knew it need a lot of attention, capital attention. And there’s a lot of belief that with excess land available, it just wasn’t being used to its full purpose,” Geremia said.

The authority took over Dec. 24, 2019, and has since hired commercial broker and property management firm RM Bradley to handle day-to-day operations, maintenance and tenant relations, Geremia said.

Six of the 14 tenants work with fresh produce from parts of the four main warehouses that operate 24 hours a day.

Repaving 200 square feet of the market was one of the first improvements the authority made.

“That was one of the major tenant concerns when we got there,” Geremia said. 

“The roadways getting to the docks were very deteriorated.”

The authority also made these improvements:

• Fixed fences, installed security gate and booth;
• Weatherized farmers market pavilion;
• Added spot lighting, upgraded pole lighting;
• Created gated outdoor market café seating;
• Updated offices and conference room;
• Built a covered bus station for the bus stop; and
• Installed new water pipes, boiler and performed other maintenance. 

The market is in the process of getting new roofs and roof supports, a $125,000 project, and there’s another $250,000 in capital funds that will go into the market in the coming year, Geremia said.

The authority is going to release a request for proposals for a future-use study of the additional unused land and at least five warehouse units that aren’t being utilized.

“People want to put small and large greenhouses on the undeveloped land. We’re trying to get more information on how other markets are going about this, and we’re also trying to build another building for other tenants with more modern construction design for easier movement for trucks and goods,” Geremia said.

There might be new tenants, but a few current tenants are interested in this public-private partnership.

The new building will have better docking system, new refrigeration and air conditioning, he said.

“The feeling was that this is a better organization (for management of the market) because they’re real estate developers and managers,” Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt said. 

“The (Connecticut) Regional Market needs some investment. It needs some engineering done to it. And you know, quite honestly, that’s not where the Connecticut Department of Agriculture has expertise, and the CRDA does.”