HAMDEN -- The industrial park at 295-325 Treadwell St. -- home to popular music venues the Space Ballroom and The Cellar on Treadwell, as well as recording, performance and learning space Skiro Studios -- has been sold, but the new owners say they don't expect any changes.
The 55,000-square-foot property on 6.5 acres was purchased for $2.8 million by James Huffman of Farnam Realty Group and Spring Glen Business Center LLC. Huffman, a North Haven resident, has managed the property for the past two years while working with former owner Foxtrack LLC, controlled by Guilford-based David D'Atri, who owned the site since 1986.
Huffman said his approach as owner will mirror his role as property manager.
"We're not looking to replace tenants. We're not looking to push anyone out," Huffman said.
He added that he does not plan to raise rents, noting that most tenants already have long-term leases.
"We're happy with what the rents are," Huffman said. "It's going to stay what it is."
That was welcome news for the tenants.
"James is a good dude. He's been nothing but help and assistance to us since we moved in," said Aaron "Y-A" Rogers, who co-owns Skiro Studios with Rashad "Snacks" Johnson, his partner in The Breed Entertainment.
The New Haven-raised music producers won their first Grammy last year for work on R&B superstar Chris Brown's "11:11" album.
"I'm excited to see what will happen," Rogers said.
Keith Mahler of Premier Concerts, which owns the Space Ballroom, also said he's looking forward to the new ownership.
"We finally have a real landlord," Mahler said. In addition, "We've got a long-term lease and a very successful operation."
Farnam Realty Group founder Carol Lopez Horsford said in a news release that the property serves as a hub for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
"This building is a center for entrepreneurship," Horsford said. "With a price per square foot that allows for accessibility, it creates an opportunity for entrepreneurs to build their businesses from the ground up."
Tenants at the industrial park also include Win the Day Training, The Empowerment Christian Church led by the Rev. Corey Saulsbury, and Shore Thing, a food manufacturer specializing in crab cakes.
"This diverse tenant base contributes to the building's strong presence as a vibrant commercial hub within the Hamden community," the news release states.
Huffman said that mix of businesses was a major draw.
"For us, that was the attraction -- there's a bunch of unique businesses in there," he said.
He also noted a personal motivation behind the purchase: securing space for his construction business.
"I was looking to buy. I was looking to rent. It proved really hard. ... David, the previous owner, who is a client of Farnam's, was aware I was looking for space."
Huffman said he plans for his construction business to eventually occupy part of the property.
The only changes Huffman plans to make are cosmetic, he said.
"I think there's some fencing that should be replaced ... maybe change out the sign, put in some landscaping."