138-142 Furniture Row, Milford
John F. Bergin and Carl G. Russell of George J. Smith & Son Commercial and Investment Real Estate recently brokered a long-term lease for 50,000 square feet at 138-142 Furniture Row in Milford. Bergin and Russell were the only brokers involved in the 10-year transaction.
The new tenant, Keystone Automotive Industries, recently acquired all the New England locations of Veng USA and has expanded the Milford location by 50 percent. Keystone continues to be a leader in North America in the supply of premium quality replacement auto body parts and supplies to the collision repair industry. It has served its customers for more than 50 years with independently produced parts and has, in recent years, introduced the nation’s leading aluminum wheel-remanufacturer program.
George J. Smith & Son Commercial & Investment Real Estate is Milford’s oldest real estate firm.
D’Amico Starts New Firm
Wayne D’Amico, founder and former president of Real Property Consultants, recently formed a new company in Essex. D’Amico, a 17-year veteran in commercial and investment real estate has founded Property Politics, a real estate development and advisory firm specializing in complex real estate development, brokerage and consulting services.
“The new organization better reflects the firm’s multi-faceted involvement in more complex commercial real estate investment and development,” D’Amico said. “Due to our independence and market focus, Property Politics not only offers traditional commercial and investment brokerage services, but is uniquely positioned to offer customer-centric, project-specific services, such as site reconnaissance and assemblage, property tax validation and strategic planning services for property ownership and development.
“I’m not your traditional broker and I’m not just a consultant,” added D’Amico, who has been a sole practitioner since 1989. “I deal with the ‘politics’ of doing the deals, best positioning projects for success. Our services are value added to complex projects, and being independent of franchises and brand, we’re able to participate as an integral part of the client’s development team, participating in the entire deal to accomplish the client’s overall investment goals.”
With a background that includes nearly two decades of involvement in real estate ventures both large and small, Property Politics offers both client-centered and project-focused support during all aspects of acquisition, investment, development and disposition. Originally from Meriden, D’Amico recently relocated to Essex, a historic town with solid transportation infrastructure as well as proximity to New York City and Boston, and which borders the eastern part of Connecticut, an area well positioned for growth.
The firm’s recent projects have included packaging a three-way deal that will see national retailer Lowe’s Home Improvement build a new, 169,000-square-foot store this year on the site of the former Wal-Mart store on North Colony Road in Wallingford. D’Amico was also the local representative for California-based Hackman Capital Partners as it developed plans for a 250-acre site in Montville. Property Politics handled development planning, site acquisition, valuation, feasibility and public-sector negotiations involving the site. Purchased for $12 million over two years, the project sold last October for $33.5 million.
“These were complex transactions involving multiple parties, a range of contractual and legal obligations and creative approaches,” D’Amico said. “In many cases, it’s not easy to secure all of those services from one firm, but that’s what we specialize in: the ‘politics’ that goes into bringing a vision to profitable reality.”
