Community Corner

Hidden Gems Of Hartford And Tolland Counties

The latest Hidden gem is a pop-up recreation and meeting site inside an historic building.

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The new activity area inside an historic New Britain building.
The new activity area inside an historic New Britain building. (Blue Haus Group )

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.

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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.

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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 Hartford and Tolland counties. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to tim.jensen@patch.com.
Other columns in this series:

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