New Haven Independent

A Good Omen For Grand Avenue

by Melissa Bailey | April 29, 2008 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Clearing out a key Grand Avenue property after 25 years of blight, Angelo Reyes stumbled upon more work than he expected — not to mention a mysterious pig.

Reyes, who after a youthful jail stint rose to become a successful Fair Haven developer, has been transforming the area’s commercial corridor one building at a time. (Click here for a previous story detailing his vision).

His latest project: Bringing life back to a crumbling, century-old Grand Avenue storefront that he said has been vacant for 25 years. The building sits on the block of Grand between Poplar and Fillmore, where he has been working to get rid of loitering and drug deals and create a Latino version of Wooster Street. He now owns eight properties on the block.

Reyes shared his plans while diverting pedestrian traffic from falling bricks on a recent sunny afternoon. He paid $25,000 to buy 258 Grand Ave. from the city, which has owned the boarded-up structure since 2003. The building has an assessed value of $145,740.

Reyes said he got the deal by agreeing to also fix up the building next door: A four-story commercial/residential mix that, according to Reyes, has long plagued the block with drug problems. He said he wrestled the adjacent building, 254 Grand Ave., out of the hands of a New York “slumlord.” The combined projects will amount to a $2 million project for the developer, who buys properties in his own name and stays on as a long-term landlord.

His crew set to work on 258 Grand Ave. after sealing the deal with the city a month and a half ago. Clearing out years of neglect has come with a few surprises.

“We walked in, and there was an old boar’s head looking at you at the front door,” Reyes said. He described the pig’s head as “down to the gritty bone.”

“It’s black magic,” he surmised — a sign that someone didn’t want him on the property.

Reyes said the building was structurally sound, with heavy trusses firmly planted. But he soon found the walls and floors were crumbling. The front façade didn’t look so stable either. So he ripped them out and started anew.

Friday, workers were prying off the remains of the brick façade, releasing the occasional load onto the street below. Reyes cordoned off the area and made sure pedestrians stayed away, taking one little boy’s hand as he directed him to safety.

Upstairs, red graffiti still marked the walls. Downstairs, however, lay a smooth new floor of poured cement. In the back, the wall had already been knocked out and replaced with fresh concrete. Reyes kept the old bricks so he could put them up again outside the structural inner wall.

“It’s a beautiful building,” he explained, “I didn’t want it to lose its character.”

Looking up at the freshly torn gap in the streetscape, Reyes said he didn’t quite expect to have to remove the walls in the process. But he still had faith in his vision of what could fill that hole.

He already has one tenant lined up, Hispanic Vision, an eye doctor’s office. Next to the eye doctor, Reyes imagines a local breakfast joint — with good coffee, not Dunkin’ Donuts. Upstairs, perhaps a dance floor.

He aims to have the eye clinic open by June 1.

In the adjacent structure, which looms two stories higher, Reyes hopes to create what he calls luxury housing. The building, 254 Grand Ave., has six apartments above a couple storefronts. People used to hang out the window there, up to no good, and sell drugs inside, he said. The SWAT team had to respond one time.

Reyes said he evicted all the tenants when he bought the building about a year ago. In the rear, where a dead body was once found, Reyes plans to build a daycare center, run by a local woman.

The developer pointed across the street to a new Turkish cell phone store, and down the street to where a brand new Columbus School is rising. Down near the Quinnipiac River, developer Fereshteh Behkrad is taking on an ambitious condo project.

“I think we’re doing a great job at revitalizing Fair Haven, especially in a recession,” Reyes said. “There’s an opportunity for growth and we’re taking advantage of it.”

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Comments

Posted by: Esbe | April 29, 2008 10:07 AM

Angelo Reyes sounds like the best thing that could happen to Grand Avenue. Only someone who is willing to buy up most of a block like this is going to be able to transform it, otherwise the neighboring properties will drag you down. It is great that he wants to keep the diverse, ethnic "local" character of the neighborhood -- it is much easier to simply rent to a Dunkin Donuts and a Subway.

Posted by: DesignNewHaven | April 29, 2008 10:28 AM

Great article! A recession caused by $10/gasoline (which is what it will be next year) will only help dense, mixed-use areas like Fair Haven, which do not require an expensive automobile to live in.

Posted by: jackie | April 29, 2008 10:48 AM

despite their faults, this is exactly why i find new haven and america inspiring.

Posted by: Keeping Strong | April 29, 2008 10:48 AM

When the city gave this guy Blatchley Mansion (corner of Blatchley and Grand) it was a bombed out building with no roof or windows that was a blight on all of Grand Avenue.

Now . . .

It is an attractive historically accurate brick building with an architect and chiropractor occupying the building.

So I say -- keep it up and keep it strong.

Posted by: DingDong | April 29, 2008 10:56 AM

Give this man an award!

Also, tell us more about the Turkish cell phone store. Is there a Turkish community in Fair Haven?

Posted by: cedarhillresident | April 29, 2008 10:58 AM

Bravo Angelo,
I remember him from back in the day. What he is doing is great! But what is even more impressive is the fact that he is living proof, the only person that can keep you down in this world is yourself. He rose above the life and gave meaning to his life. He is an example for many! That deserve a bigger bravo!

Posted by: Charlie | April 29, 2008 11:11 AM

Angelo,

Don't know you but I am very impressed by what you have accomplished. You can be a role model to many in Fair Haven. If I recall you got into a jam a few years ago with some voting stuff becuase of your involvement with DeStefano's machine. Stay away from those guys and you'll be great becuase no one will own you. This city needs home-grown folks like you who want to improve the city and know how to do it without selling their souls to the politicians -- regardless of their stripes.

Posted by: robn | April 29, 2008 11:17 AM

New Haven needs more good solid citizens like Angelo Reyes.

Posted by: mary | April 29, 2008 12:35 PM

Great Job Angelo you do so much not only for the community but also for the schools.God bless you!!!!!

Posted by: In The Hood | April 29, 2008 9:44 PM

Inspiring, Inspiring, Inspiring! This man should be be on the talk circuit for the Neighborhood Management Team meetings giving residents "how to" advice on duplicating this work.

Posted by: Irma Reyes | April 29, 2008 9:52 PM

I love this MAN....and proud to say he's my husband...

Posted by: fairhavendoc | April 30, 2008 12:35 PM

What great work! Bravo Angelo. FAIR HAVEN RISING!

I rode by this the other day...an old sign on one of the walls says that it used to be a billiards hall back in the day. It was neat to see a little history being unpeeled.

Posted by: clem | April 30, 2008 4:14 PM

I met Angelo many years ago....when he was a thug in the area...people were afraid of him..he did his time.and became this role model..wow..how does he get these good deals on property in Fair Haven...yep.. knows the Mayor..big donator to his campaigns..a latino version of Billy White...brother of bondsman Porky's bonds....

Posted by: In The Hood | April 30, 2008 6:06 PM

Thanks for the background Clem. Now.... how can we turn around other "thugs" to become contributing citizens? Reyes is a good model.

By the way there is no law against contributing to a politician of your choice

Posted by: david streever | April 30, 2008 9:14 PM

Hi Clem,

Actually, if your reading comprehension was above 2nd grade level, you'd have read how he got this deal in the story.

He agreed to spend 2 million dollars developing the nearby crack house into a property that the SWAT team doesn't need to raid, that no longer has dead bodies in it's back yard.

I guess it's easier to imagine that ex-convicts are getting sweet heart deals because of their political connections instead of the truth: that a young thug served his time, worked hard, and is now a model to the whole city.

HEY OH!

Keep up the negativity, pal, I would like to congratulate Angelo on being a solid citizen & a great role model to everyone in New Haven!

Posted by: Ned | May 1, 2008 8:29 AM

One of the previous ownners of 254 Grand Ave., Karyn Stettinger, is on the list of Connecticut Department of Revenue Services 100 of the Top Delinquent Income Taxpayer Accounts. Realestate is such a funny business in New Haven...

Posted by: Ariel Martinez | May 1, 2008 9:04 AM

Hi Angelo,

We haven't spoken in a long time but I wanted to echo the sentiments of many. I'm proud of the respected and successful Latino businessman you've become. Keep up the great work. God bless you and yours.

Posted by: tj | May 1, 2008 11:20 AM

Angelo
you are a reminder bad gone good....these kids should know what you were and what you are today maybe do a nice pro-file on you for the kids...you could come to my neighborhood and clean up my part of fair haven ...anytime..
god be with you..

Posted by: Chris Gray | May 3, 2008 1:38 AM

Did I approve of all of Joel Schiavone's politics? Nope, not by a long shot. Nor all of his business practices? No. Did I even understand how he accomplished what he did enough to accurately judge him? Not really.

Would I deny that he had a vision that, in its fulfillment, had a major positive impact on the city? Never.

Mr. Reyes seems well on his way to reshaping one of our city's most difficult trouble spots into a vibrant neighborhood and I salute that. Under the circumstances, I would not expect him to currently be a vocal administration critic nor am I surprised that he would be grateful to his apparent benefactors.

A Good Omen For Grand Avenue

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