New Industrial Development Reviewed by Town Council

The proposed development would be located just north and west of I-84 (diagonal) between Smoron Drive and Curtiss Street. GOOGLE SATELLITE IMAGE

The weekend snowstorm that affected wide swaths of the Northeast meant that the Southington Town Council meeting of Monday, January 26 had to be held remotely. But with all Council members present via Zoom, business proceeded as usual – and included the announcement of a major piece of economic development news.

The news came in an update delivered by Councillor Michael DelSanto on the Economic Development Strike Committee, which he chairs. At the sub-committee’s January 15 meeting, Town representatives heard preliminary details of an ambitious plan for a multi-use development in one of Southington’s last remaining industrial parcels. The land in question has proved difficult to develop due to the presence of transmission lines, wetlands, watercourses, and topographical challenges, DelSanto said.

The project, according to DelSanto, involves three separate parcels at 99 Smoron Drive, 115 Summit Farms Road, and 682 Curtiss Street, which together constitute about 114 acres just north of I-84. Part of the property is zoned I-2, for industrial purposes; the developer intends to seek a zone change on 35 acres near I-84 in order to make part of it into a retail area of some 150,000 square feet that would include a gas station and hotel.

Although DelSanto did not mention the developer’s name, the roughly 60-acre Smoron Drive property currently belongs to Technology Industrial Park, a business owned by local developers Mark Lovely and Jason Manafort. Former Council member Jack Perry was part of a group that purchased the Curtiss Street and Summit Farms properties in 2024, per reporting from the Hartford Business Journal.

A key aspect of the proposed project, DelSanto added, is infrastructure upgrades. These possible upgrades include a new road that would connect Smoron Court and Curtiss Street, as well as new sewer, water and gas lines. The value of these investments would be about $15 million, DelSanto reported, citing the project attorney.

In addition, consultant Don Poland, who attended the Strike Committeee meeting, estimated that tax revenues from 665,000 feet of new space would be about $2 million annually, along with $2.6 million in sewer use fees, $773,000 in building permit fees, and wage creation of approximately $11 million. The developers are reportedly not seeking tax abatements.

DelSanto was optimistic about the practical value of the new connector road, which he said could help take some traffic off West Street. The new road would be built by the developer and turned over the town.

The main purpose of the meeting with the Economic Strike committee, DelSanto said, was for the developer to better understand what the next steps should be to bring the project to fruition.

The Town Council did not take any action to approve or disapprove the project, which will have to gain Town staff approvals and the approval of the Planning and Zoning Commission before moving forward.

Another sub-committee report, from the Apple Harvest Committee, covered some personnel changes as well as the news that the first of several musical acts who will appear at the annual event has been secured.

The three parcels in question abut I-84 and run from Curtiss (lower left) to Smoron (uppr right). GOOGLE STREET MAP IMAGE

New Town Attorney and Other Business

In what Council Chair Paul Chaplinsky, Jr. called a “formality,” the agenda order was amended in order to appoint a new Town Attorney and Assistant Town Attorney. This merely meant switching titles, not introducing new people, with former Assistant Town Attorney Louis Martocchio III, appointed earlier this term, moving into the lead role and his father Louis Martocchio II, taking the Assistant role. Councillor Chris Palmieri mentioned that “several residents” had reached out about tabling the moves until the next in-person meeting, but ultimately the Council unanimously approved the changes.

Although appointments to the Town’s several commissions and sub-committees had been somewhat contentious to begin the term, Dana Rickard and Kathy Rickard were appointed to the Southington Enterprise & Economic Development (SEED) Committee to fill one vacancy. Town Bylaws require one representative who is a “business owner,” but finding a quorum for meetings, as Palmieri pointed out, has proven difficult for this group. The new arrangement allows for one of the Rickards, who represent local business Compumail, to attend when possible. The Council voted unanimously to approve the compromise. There are still vacant spots that must be filled by a local resident who lives in the enterprise zone, and by a college student.

The Council also voted to appoint a sub-committee to oversee the construction of new roofs at three area elementary schools. This group will be responsible for keeping the construction compliant with state law governing the process, so that the town remains eligible to receive grants and reimbursements for the cost.

The Council approved several grant applications. One of these would request subvention from the Connecticut Department of Transportation for a new bus for Calendar House. Town Manager Alex Ricciardone advised a tempered optimism, since the grant process was “highly competitive.”

Another grant request was for new fiber installation. The request came to the Town from Frontier Wireless, which is seeking Southington’s support for a grant the company is pursuing. The Council chose to endorse a more “generic” letter of support for any company that might wish to pursue fiber network upgrades in town.

Southington Volleyball Starts State Tournament With Straight Set Win

Captain Paige Raines KIERAN SUMMERS PHOTOS

Captain Paige Raines and all six of the Southington girls volleyball seniors entered the Class LL State Tournament knowing their high school careers could end there. But their first-round matchup against Darien didn’t mark the final chapter, as the Blue Knights came away with a straight-set victory, winning 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-23).

“We found the heart, found the drive, found the passion,” Raines said. “We knew this was a season-ending game for one of us. We didn’t want to stop playing. We didn’t want tonight to be the end.”

For Raines and company, the key was keeping their composure. When the Blue Knights found themselves down, they could not take their foot off of the gas. It was that mantra that led Southington to victory.

“Tonight was a big step up from how we’ve been playing,” Raines said. “Usually when we get down, we don’t fight back. But we really brought it today. We played with heart and passion, which is what I’ve been waiting for.”

Laura Esguerra

Blue Knights Don’t Back Down

The first set was all in Southington’s favor until Darien took a 16-15 lead. Coach Rich Heitz took his first timeout a point later, before seeing the Blue Knights fall behind 20-18. Southington dug in and tied the game at 22-22, forcing Darien’s first timeout. The Blue Wave used that to their advantage, taking a 24-22 lead.

The Blue Knights were just one point away from losing the set. But they didn’t lose their focus. Southington rallied off three straight points to force Darien’s second timeout. After the break, the Blue Knights won the next point, securing a crucial set victory.

“It is so important to try and win that first set, especially when you have an even, competitive match,” Heitz said. “We were down a little bit at the end and we were able to pull it out. Now you’ve got momentum.”

Southington was much more in control throughout the second set. They never trailed and forced numerous long rallies. The sixth point in particular saw the Blue Knights take on numerous Blue Wave attacks and still win the rally.

But the third set was a different story. A 4-1 start for the Blue Knights proved misleading, as the Blue Wave came back to take a 15-13 lead. Heitz was forced to take a timeout, only to have to call another when Southington went down 18-13.

At that moment, Heitz sent a message to his team: “‘Guys, your body language right now is not real good.’” The squad rallied, eventually tying the game up at 21. The Blue Knights were in control, rediscovered their focus and earned a State Championship victory.

“We’ve had a lot of success in recent years. I knew if we played the level we could, we would have success tonight,” Heitz said. “It’s the seniors last game here. It was nice to lock up a win at home for them.”

Raines had 16 digs while fellow senior Cameron Wallace had six. Senior Camilla Garcia had nine kills and three aces as senior Laura Esguerra had five assists, four kills and two aces. Senior Alexandra Wagner and junior Lauren Warych each had five kills while junior Lily Eidukaityte had 11 kills, 10 digs and three aces. Freshman Emme Steindl recorded 28 assists and six digs.

Camilla Garcia

Alexandra Wagner

Looking Backward, Looking Forward

Southington, the No. 12 seed, will take on No. 5 Amity next, tonight at 6pm. They will not host another home game unless a higher seed is knocked out. Raines acknowledged that fact, noting how much the program has meant to this group of players, shaping them as people and allowing their work on the court to translate into their lives outside.

The coach said Tuesday’s match was an opportunity for this year’s seniors to leave their mark.

“This is their moment. This is what they’ve been waiting for,” said Heitz. “For a lot of them this is their second year of varsity. They were behind some very impressive players last year. Paige has been here three years, she understands it, has been in State Championship games. It’s nice for them to finish with a win.”

In the 2024 Class LL State Tournament, Southington was the No. 1 seed and reached the semifinals. Darien came in at No. 3 and won the entire tournament. Heitz knows that both programs are held in high esteem.

But for the Blue Knights to be successful in this year's tournament, they must focus on the present. They cannot let the prestige of their jersey cloud their judgement. The 2025 Southington team must be prepared to play at the best of their abilities; nothing less will do.

“One of the things we struggled with this year at times is the fact that you’ve got Southington on your jersey and you’ve had a lot of success. Sometimes it was hard for us to get started because we figured that would make the difference,” Heitz said. “Same thing with Darien this year, the mystique of their program.”

The immediate challenge is facing Amity. Southington knows they will be a difficult matchup. Their No. 5 ranking came after a 15-3 season. No matter the competitor though, Heitz has the Blue Knights ready to fight. “They’ve got to do their job inside this 30 x 30 box,” he said. “And I’ve got to do my job by watching some video and getting them the information they need to pass the test.”

He has kept his message simple – one he hopes will carry Southington as far as they can go: “Why not us? Keep it simple. Why not us?” Heitz asked.

Lily Eidutaityte

In Southington, A Shop For The Supernatural

CT DRONE SOURCE PHOTOS

The first clue Southington residents had that something strange was coming to town may have been the unusual black jeep parked in the lot behind Factory Square last year:

PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO

The vehicle, it turns out, was owned by Nathan Nuñez, who had recently signed a lease for a space on the first floor of Factory Square adjacent to Escapism Escape Rooms.

Behind a doorway that looked like something from the set of a Harry Potter movie, one could hear the sound of drilling and banging, and the occasional bar of spooky music. Finally, in March of this year, a store opened there. It had an odd name: ‘Curioporium’.

Something To See

 

So what exactly is Curioporium? It depends on who you ask.

“Google or Facebook keeping putting me down as an antique shop – antique shop, haunted house, retail gift shop, museum… The original iteration of Curioporium in 2018 was an antique store. Now it has progressed to something more like what I originally wanted: customers come and say, ‘you just have to see it’. That’s one of my favorite phrases.”

Visually, Curioporium looks rather like a museum devoted to all things odd, rare, and paranormal. Its themes run the gamut from horror and spiritualism to cryptids, Victorian-era crime, and UFO’s.

Yet unlike a museum, almost everything you find inside is for sale. Some of the items are mass-produced, like socks, soaps, hairbands, stickers, and books. But most are unique specimens: works of taxidermy, art-pieces, photographs, and assorted strange antiques.

Asked to describe his ideal customers, Nuñez breaks them down by age.

“We start with the kids of course. There is a lot of kids stuff up front. People are not sure what this place is, but then they see a stuffed animal. Yes, it may be a Cthulhu, but it’s a stuffed animal. For kids, this place is hands-on; touch anything you like.”

“Then it’s for groups that are into the spooky. Then, for people who come in looking for vintage books and items. Then, for older individuals – many over the age of 60 – who are seeing vintage items from when they were a child, like 35mm slides.”

“I wanted to create something for all the stages of life. I’m coming up on 50 myself and the store is a kind of retrospective of all the things I have enjoyed in my life, from childhood to now.”

That said, children may represent the largest and most devoted segment of his customer base.

“This weekend was the ‘Wee Witches’ Cauldron Hunt’. Think of an easter-egg hunt, but with little cauldrons filled with spooky stickers and Slinkies. We do it on Sundays, Lantern Sunday, when the lights are lower. We went through over a 100 cauldrons, one per child, so over a hundred children.”

Southington’s Siren Song

The tale of how Nuñez chose Southington as the site for his curiosity shop has various twists and turns. When he was first looking for a place to build Curioporium, he gave the town serious consideration, eyeing a space on the third floor of Factory Square. He and his wife were familiar with the area as owners of a business in Plainville, and were attracted by the “little streets and little stores” of Southington’s downtown.

Then his brother suggested a location in Hartford in the area of Park Street and Sissan Avenue. It lay near the area where they had grown up, was affordable and possessed some character. For that reason Curioporium first opened in Hartford, where it met with some success.

Yet over time a problem emerged: while the shop was a destination for people driving in from elsewhere, it was not drawing enough customers from casual foot traffic or people in the neighborhood.

So the lure of Factory Square grew again. A 5000-square foot space was available in the basement. Nuñez signed a lease and drew up plans for a large space with areas for retail, performance, antiques, and a café.

But then, in January of 2024, disaster struck: the basement of the building flooded, ruining many of the props and items that were being stored there.

It was time for a choice. One option involved rebuilding the props and forging ahead with plans for a space that would feature a collection of familiar, easy-to-describe entertainments.

The other was to move upstairs to the first floor, and construct a shop that would be much smaller, but also much more strange, and unique.

Nuñez chose the latter option. The result? A topsy-turvy blend of museum, haunted house, and antique store that is both an immersive experience and a popular retail destination.

Curioporium is full of imaginary frights. But for Nuñez, crafting its unique space involved conquering a real fright – fear of failure. “My biggest challenge has been finding my personal voice. When you are really authentic, it becomes a lot easier – but it’s scary, too.”

So far, this step into the unknown has proven to be the right one.

Our full interview with Curioporium owner Nathan Nuñez is available below.

Curioporium Interview - w/ Nathan Nuñez

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For more photography by CT Drone Source, see this link.