Strip Club Agrees To Leave Clock Factory

A Mill River strip club owner has reached a deal with a Portland-based developer to pay up to $40,000 in back rent, end its eviction appeal, and vacate its derelict former clock factory digs by May 20 in order to allow for the building’s conversion into 130 affordable apartments and artist lofts.

On Monday afternoon, the respective lawyers for Scores owner Peter Forchetti and Clock Shop Lofts developer Josh Blevins signed a stipulated agreement that appears to put an end to a months-long legal battle. The developer said the legal battle might imperil the $38 million proposed development in the former clock factory at 133 Hamilton St. if it went on for much longer.

Scores attorney Anthony DiCrosta submitted the stipulated agreement to state Superior Court Judge John Cordani just a few days after the housing court judge had set an appeal bond of $1.2 million, which the strip club owners would have had to pay in order to stay in place at their 85 Saint John St. location over the course of an appeal of Cordani’s initial eviction judgment in favor of the developers.

“It became apparent to everyone during the latter part of the court proceedings that the continued occupancy of the premises by my client would result in placing the Plaintiff’s development project in significant jeopardy,” DiCrosta told the Independent by email. ​“Although more time to relocate would certainly have been convenient and there was a fair amount of confidence in a likely successful result in the appeal, my client decided that the better choice for New Haven was to work together with the Plaintiff so as to see its development come to fruition.”

Click here to read the full stipulation.

The agreement states that Scores will close up shop and vacate its site at the former clock factory by May 20. The owners will have another 15 days after that to remove any remaining belongings from the club.

Club owner Forchetti agreed to pay Reed Community Partners, the development company that owns the building, $15,000 in back rent on or before May 20. Forchetti also agreed to deposit with his lawyer $25,000 in back rent, which will be held in escrow and will be released seven days after May 20, pending both parties’ compliance with the stipulation. He also authorized the court to pay the developer the $17,000 in use and occupancy payments that he had submitted to the court in lieu of rent over the course of the legal proceedings.

Finally, Forchetti agreed to withdraw his appeal of the judge’s initial eviction order.

“Defendants acknowledge and agree that the appeal filed by Defendants in connection with the judgment entered by the trial court (Cordani, J.) on February 14, 2019 is moot as a result of this Stipulation,” the document reads.

Blevins declined to comment on the stipulation, and said Reed Community Partners is prepared to move forward with the rest of the necessary environmental remediation at the contaminated site as soon as the building is empty. ​“As cleanup nears completion,” he said, ​“we will be able to finalize agreements with lending partners with the hope of closing on construction financing this summer.”