Deal in the works for former Peter Paul site

0
5782

By Andreas Yilma, Staff Writer

The former Peter Paul site, which is owned by The Hershey Company, on New Haven Road in Naugatuck has sat vacant for 10 years. Hershey has a signed purchase and sales agreement for the property. –ANDREAS YILMA

NAUGATUCK — After more than a decade of sitting vacant, the former Peter Paul site on New Haven Road may soon have new economic life.

Naugatuck Economic Development Corp. President Ronald Pugliese said R+L Carriers, a global freight shipping company, has made an offer to buy the 36-acre parcel of land at 889 New Haven Road from The Hershey Company. He said Hershey accepted the offer and the companies are working on a deal.

Pugliese said he’s excited about the potential acquisition of the land.

“It’s going to be a big development,” Pugliese said.

Hershey Company Director of Corporate Communications Jeff Beckman said the company has a signed purchase and sales agreement and is working through the due diligence process.

Details on the offer and the Ohio-based R+L Carriers’ plan for the property were unclear last week. R&L Carriers Vice President Don DeLuca did not respond to requests for comment.

Naugatuck-based attorney Michael McVerry, who is representing R&L Carriers locally, said last week he couldn’t comment on the plans without talking to his client first.

A community meeting for residents near the property is scheduled for June 10 at the Naugatuck Event Center at 7 p.m. McVerry said he sent notices to about 50 property owners near the property about the meeting.

Pugliese said the meeting is a good effort on the part of R&L Carriers to make sure the community is informed on what’s going on.

Zoning Enforcement Officer Ed Carter said no applications have officially been submitted to the land use department, but an applicant has shown interest to develop the land.

“We have had communications with an applicant for a project on that property,” Carter said.

The property once housed a 253,000-square-foot brick and glass building that made Mounds and Almond Joy candies. Hershey closed the plant in 2007. The candy company demolished the factory in 2011 to improve the land’s marketability. The company also did environmental cleaning on the site.

R&L Carriers is a global freight transportation and logistics company. The company offers international supply chain management, warehousing and customs brokerage, according to its website.

Editor’s note: This article includes a comment from Hershey Company Director of Corporate Communications Jeff Beckman received after press time for the June 3 edition of the Citizen’s News.