Two Hartford businessmen are vying for the right to develop
a 1.4 acre parcel of city-owned land at 106 Leibert Road.
Manny Leibert, owner of The Leibert Corporation on Jennings Road,
said developers have approached him with a plan to combine the
city-owned parcel with an adjacent property, owned by the Leibert
Family, in order to build a 155-room hotel and conference facility.
Tony March of Tony March Buick-GMC, Inc. wants to use the parcel
to expand his rapidly growing automobile dealership, which is
located across the street from the city-owned property.
The Hartford Redevelopment Agency will review both proposals
at its regular monthly meeting this Thursday, September 17.
On Tuesday, Leibert said that the hotel proposal is still in
the planning stages but added that, "yes, there is a fair
chance that a $20 million hotel could be built here at the corner
of Jennings and Leibert Roads."
He said the developers of the project, the J.T. Murray Development
Company of Plants- ville, CT, have told him that they like the
site's location, particularly its direct access to and from I-91,
and are also excited about the overall redevelopment surge in
Hartford, including Adriaen's Landing.
According to the proposal Leibert submitted to the Redevelopment
Agency in August, the hotel being planned will include a 14,265
square foot conference center, a full-service 160-seat restaurant,
lounge and hotel bar, a fitness center, indoor pool, tennis courts
and a putting green.
When completed, the facility will employ approximately 140 full
and part-time employees, Leibert said. According to the proposal,
financing for construction of the hotel has been obtained from
a Connecticut based lending institution and, if all goes according
to plan, the facility could be completed as early as the summer
of 2000.
March is the principal of Crystal Motors, LLC, the official proposed
developer of the property at 106 Leibert Road. In his proposal,
March said he plans to use the property to expand his service,
parts and used car operations and to provide additional employee
parking.
The proposal also calls for the construction of a 4,200 square
foot building and the hiring of six new employees.
March recently acquired a Mazda and Mitsubishi dealership and
is constructing two new facilities. One will be 17,500 square
feet and the other 4,200 square feet, and they will be housed
at 105 and 149 Leibert Road. According to the proposal, new employee
parking places are "desperately" needed if March is
to continue expanding and hiring new employees. Currently there
is no public or on-street parking near the March dealership.
When Tony March Buick, Inc. first opened in the North Meadows
in 1992, the proposal states, it employed about 30 people but
now has over 60 employees and this number could rise to approximately
125 employees once the overall expansion is completed.
March's proposal lists a total cost of $500,000 for the development
at 106 Leibert Road and, if the proposal is accepted by the Redevelopment
Agency, the project could be completed as soon as February of
next year.
March declined to comment about his proposal until after Thursday
night's meeting.
