Hidden Gems Of Connecticut

NEW BRITAIN, CT — This week's Hidden Gem is an historic building with a new "pop-up" direction in Downtown New Britain.

The Mutual Housing Association of Greater Hartford has partnered with local real estate and economic
development firm Blue Haus Group, to launch a "table tennis activation" in the commercial space at 55
West Main St.

The firm's table tennis concept, PoP! Table Tennis, launched this week in the 6,500-square-foot
space. Blue Haus Group expects to charge $10 per person per hour while also accommodating
larger parties and gatherings.

Blue Haus Group has been working with private property owners and municipalities to "induce and
increase foot traffic around underutilized assets" for more than five years. The firm has a strong belief that
"activity breeds activity" and often launches the pop ups as a way to complement existing businesses in the
neighborhood while also attempting for fill gaps in programming, while gathering data for potential
permanent retail tenants.

After acquiring the historic building in 2011, the Mutual Housing Association of Greater Hartford has successfully
leased the residential units, but has been seeking a permanent tenant for the historic retail space. The
space most recently was home to a temporary expansion of the New Britain Industrial Museum, which is
housed at 59 West Main St.

Founded in 2015, Blue Haus Group is a private real estate and economic development firm with a focus on creating dynamic urban cores within secondary and tertiary markets. They specialize in the creation and redevelopment of public spaces, neighborhood streetscapes, activations, and pop-ups.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut. Other columns in this series for 2021 include:

• Fox Hopyard Golf Course
• The Dodd Center For Human Rights at UConn
• Manchester Ropes Challenge Course
• 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm
• Fuego Picante Food Truck
• The Amistad
• 9/11 memorials
• Club Champion Golf Fitters
• New England Civil War Museum and Research Center
• Avery's Soda
• Salt 2.0 Restaurant
• The Grave of Jonathan, The Original Husky
• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner

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