Thomas Breen photo
382 Grand Ave.
Fair Haven Community Health Care has purchased an eight-unit, mixed retail-residential building adjacent to its Grand Avenue headquarters for over $1.3 million.
The community health center’s director described the land deal as the result of “years of discussions” between the community health center, its board of directors, community leaders, lenders, and the building’s former landlord.
According to the city land records database, on April 28, 382 – 394 Grand Avenue LLC purchased the three-and-a-quarter-story building at 382 Grand Ave. and 0.26 acres-worth of adjacent parking lots at 388 Grand Ave., 390 Grand Ave., and 394 Grand Ave. from Zeynullah Yeroz for $1,395,000.
382 – 394 Grand Avenue LLC is a holding company owned by Fair Haven Community Health Care. The health centers has its headquarters right next door to the newly acquired property, at 374 Grand Ave.
“For years we have recognized that 382 – 394 Grand Avenue, the largest available site adjacent to our campus at 374 Grand, is a critical resource to the future of our health center,” Fair Haven Health Care CEO Suzanne Lagarde told the Independent by email Monday.
The April 28 sale “was the result of literally years of discussions — with prior owner, lenders, community leaders and our Board of Directors.
“Currently there are no definite plans beyond ensuring that through the rental units, we provide quality safe housing and retail opportunities for our community. Once the current pandemic is well behind us, we plan to begin a dialogue with various stakeholders — staff, community, lending institutions, philanthropists, to name a few — about how to best utilize the property going forward.”
Lagarde added that the Fair Haven federally qualified community health center “is fiercely devoted to the Fair Haven community,” and that that commitment to the neighborhood has been on full display during the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said that the clinic continues to see hundreds of patients daily, either in person or via telemedicine; that it has set up an expanded “walk-in” Covid-19 testing site at 374 Grand Ave. where clinicians screen roughly 300 people each week (anyone interested in getting tested can schedule an appointment by calling 203 – 871-4179); that it has been working closely with Mary Wade Home to “assist in mitigating the major challenges nursing homes are experiencing throughout the country in combating COVID” and that the clinic is currently in discussion with other nearby nursing homes who have asked for their assistance; that they have branched out into providing food for Fair Haven residents in need through partnerships with the Connecticut Food Bank, Ferraro’s Market, and C‑Town, and M7 taxi.
“The above list is not exhaustive,” Lagarde said.
Sounds like they have adopted Yale's strategy of land acquisition: we don't need it now; or know what we will do with it; but we might need it in the future; so, we are buying it.