West Hartford Town Council Approves Jared the Galleria of Jewelers Building

Area residents will soon be able to go to Jared.

The West Hartford Town Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a change to a special development district at Corbins Corner Shopping Center at 1459 New Britain Ave. to allow for the construction of a free-standing, 6,051-square-foot Jared The Galleria of Jewelry retail building.

The building will be located between Red Robin and Bank of America near New Britain Avenue.

It’s just the second Jared in Connecticut; the first is located in Waterford.

Attorney Robin Pearson, who represented the developer, said that the stand-alone building allows the jeweler to offer a “much more extensive array of jewelry in the store.”

The building’s construction - which is expected to start in May and end in October - will result in the net loss of 30 parking spaces in the shopping center from 1,646 to 1,616 spaces.

But, according to engineer Michelle Carlson, the loss in parking spaces should have no impact on existing businesses, as a parking study done during the Holiday Season at peak times revealed, at most, about 1,350 parking spaces used during the busiest half hour.

Several town councilors and Pearson credited the town’s Design Review Advisory Committee for improving the site plan, which went through several iterations.

One major change had to do with moving the diamond on the store’s sign lower, so it did not rest atop the building as though set in a ring (see lead photo comparison).

“Our DRAC board is an amazing group people who spend many hours looking at proposals of this magnitude,” Town Councilor Leon Davidoff said while supporting the project. “The initial proposals were not positive. … I commend the members there. They are excellent professionals who make the community better.”

Davidoff commended the developer for investing in the town and opening a brick and mortar store at a time when some retailers are pulling back from that business model.

“Shopping is important for who we are as people,” Davidoff said.

Mayor Scott Slifka thanked the retailer, who is based in Akron, Ohio, for working with the town.

“I want to thank the applicant and attorney Pearson and the team for decisions that were made far away from here,” Slifka said. “I appreciate that a company in Akron paid attention to West Hartford. This is a long process. … We do appreciate that. I am happy to support these efforts this evening.”

And, of course, one councilor couldn’t resist saying the company’s tagline.

“My wife now has the opportunity to finally say, ‘He went to Jared,’” Councilor Chris Barnes quipped.