CT moves to buy Hartford property near convention center where pot shop was proposed

HARTFORD — The state is moving to purchase a building in the city’s Front Street district that was the site of a controversial proposal for a recreational marijuana shop a year ago, a plan that was later withdrawn amid stiff opposition from the quasi-public state agency that oversees the area.

The property, at the corner of Columbus Boulevard and Arch Street, would be acquired for no more than $650,000, according to a purchase proposal that will be considered Thursday by the board of directors of the Capital Region Development Authority. CRDA is the agency that opposed the pot shop proposal.

The purchase proposal states that 89 Arch St. — most recently the location of the Blind Pig Pizza Co. — is part of the Front Street district and is the last property in the area to be acquired by the state for future development in the wider Adriaen’s Landing area. Adriaen’s Landing includes the Connecticut Convention Center.

The state was “hesitant to use eminent domain to acquire the property, but once the opportunity to acquire the parcel by purchase presented itself, we have elected to act,” the proposal states.

The 2,500-square-foot structure was first listed for sale in 2021, according to a published report.

Michael W. Freimuth, CRDA’s executive said in a text Wednesday morning that the purchase will ensure that future use of the property is consistent with the rest of the Front Street area.

Front Street includes restaurants, entertainment venues, apartments and a regional campus of the University of Connecticut.

The Arch Street property turned controversial last summer when CRDA opposed marijuana sales in Front Street, arguing the shop would be inconsistent with the area’s family-focused entertainment.

The opposition put CRDA at odds with the city of Hartford, which had supported marijuana sales at the location. Ultimately, city lawyers ruled that CRDA controlled zoning matters within the Front Street area and not the city.

The city had said the cannabis shop met Hartford’s zoning requirements, would boost tourism and foot traffic, and encourage entrepreneurial, innovative businesses.

More than two decades ago, Adriaen’s Landing was created by state lawmakers. That led to the development of the convention center, the Connecticut Science Center and Front Street.

CRDA and its predecessor, both quasi-public agencies, were given control to shape the development. CRDA said last year that long-standing agreements prohibit such uses as check-cashing, pawn shops, firearms sellers, the sale of pornographic items, head shops — and cannabis sales.

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.