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New Businesses Add to Towns’ Bottom Lines The North By Linda Tishler Levinson ble, gas lines to Route 190 would tion on the study. Enfield has seen a number of new With the holiday season already in expand possibilities for economic develbusinesses coming to town or soon to opment there, he said, adding he has swing, you can probably guess Central News full arrive, including Plaza Azteca, a been talking to a couple of grocery who’s coming to town. But there’s P.O. Box 427 Somers, CT 06071
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stores. Many residents have told him they would like a second grocer in town. Stafford is working with a developer who is planning to bring a pharmacy to the former food co-op building, Shuck said. He is negotiating with the developer to create a 4,500-square-foot building, which he hopes will be two stories to provide space for offices upstairs and two stores below. He also is negotiating with Johnson Memorial Hospital to bring an urgent care facility to Stafford. Currently, the nearest ones are in Tolland and Somers. Ellington also is working on making decisions about a commercial corridor, with a public information meeting on the Ellington Route 83 Corridor Study to be hosted by the Planning and Zoning Commission at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 in the Town Hall meeting room. At the meeting, Planimetrics will make a presenta-
Mexican restaurant, on Hazard Avenue; Hannoush Jewelers on Freshwater Boulevard, along with the construction of other small storefronts in the plaza; a Verizon store in the Kentucky Fried Chicken building; and Longhorn Steakhouse on Phoenix Avenue. Suffield has seen new businesses arriving, including Sweet Stuff candy shop, which opened above Scoop Du Jour; Chic & Antique on Mountain Road, which sells shabby chic and antique home décor items; and Fall in Love Again Boutique & Consignment on High Street, which in addition to consigning clothing, accessories, home décor and furnishings, allows local artists and crafters to sell their work there. In East Windsor, a Super Wal-Mart opened in November on Prospect Hill Road. A Dollar General store will be opening on Main Street in Broad Brook. In Somers, SOMERSault Jungle Gymnastics recently opened on Scitico Road. But the big project rumored to be coming to Somers, a CVS pharmacy, is just that, a rumor, according to Michael D’Amato of the town Building Department. In fact, he said, no applications for new businesses are pending and the department has not even received inquiries on submitting an application.
Rockville Bank Merges ROCKVILLE - Rockville Financial, Inc. and United Financial Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBNK) announced they have entered into a definitive merger agreement in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at $369 million, based on the closing price of Rockville Financial, Inc. common stock on November 14, 2013. The combination will create the largest community bank headquartered in the Hartford – Springfield market with $4.8 billion in assets, over 50 branches and top five deposit market share in each metropolitan statistical area. In the merger, United Financial Bancorp, Inc. shareholders will receive 1.3472 shares of Rockville Financial, Inc. common stock for each share of United Financial Bancorp, Inc. common stock.
December 2013 North Central News
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something coming or newly arrived in north-central Connecticut that towns may view as presents just as welcome as those brought by the jolly old elf — new businesses. New businesses improve a town’s tax base, bring new employment opportunities and new products and services, as well as adding vitality to a town, which speaks to town officials’ wish lists for their towns. Stafford First Selectman Richard Shuck, for example, often talks about his goal of bringing more businesses to town. He has said that while traditionally towns have focused on large and medium businesses, the answer may well be in small businesses. And he said he believes, “The Route 190 corridor is really the future of Stafford’s economic development.” Bringing water, sewer and, if possi-
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