Coffee Shop Eyed For 101406

10/14/2006

Interest brewing: Coffee shop eyed for Devon porn site

Chris Rhatigan , Register Staff

MILFORD — A Bridgeport Avenue building that was home to adult products and pornographic videos until a local church drove it out may soon be filled instead with the aroma of gourmet coffee and cappuccinos.

Kingdom Life Church Bishop Jay Ramirez, leader of the church that made national news when it bought the porn shop site in 2003 in order to force it from Devon, said Friday that a coffee/tea shop and a bakery have expressed strong interest in the former Video Pleasures building.

"Those two are very real possibilities," he said, adding that he thinks the space could be occupied by spring. He did not name the businesses interested in the site.

The porn store, which initially fought the church, shut down late last year, as the church planned to force it out when its lease expired in December 2006. Kingdom Life purchased the building with $245,000 raised by parishioners; the idea was to bring in a retailer that wouldn’t need curtains in the windows.

The 3,000-member congregation, which draws from across the region, owns 22 properties in the city, including several church offices and a handful of residential properties, mostly in the Devon area.

Ramirez said the church has entertained offers from a few parties interested in the space at 116 Bridgeport Ave., but hasn’t found the right tenant. Ramirez said some of the businesses that wanted to use the space — such as a motorcycle repair shop and a tattoo parlor — were rejected.

"We’re pretty determined to bring in something productive," he said. "We’ve been working seven years on this revitalization effort."

Ramirez is referring to the Devon revitalization effort, into which the state has poured millions of dollars into new sidewalks, a small park and other improvements to spruce up the neighborhood.

Revitalization of the village of Devon, as the area is now called, was jump-started in 2002 with $1.2 million from the state Department of Economic and Community Development. Potentially, another $3.5 million could be spent by the state in the restoration efforts.

The former Video Pleasures building has undergone extensive renovations since the store closed. Ramirez said a new roof, heating system and vinyl siding have been installed. About $100,000 was spent on the work, according to Ramirez.

"The place was incredibly disgusting when they left," he said.

Smith-Craft Real Estate Corp. was involved in talks to purchase the property earlier this year. However, the developer bought land farther down Bridgeport Avenue at the Flagship Marina site, where the company intends to build a massive $20 million mixed-use project with retail and 60 apartments.

Community and Economic Development Director Robert Gregory said a coffee shop, bakery or other business bringing foot traffic to the area could be helpful at the former porn store site.

He said Ramirez has a history of turning properties in Devon into successful businesses, and cited the Natural Dog grooming parlor on Bridgeport Avenue.

"The bishop puts his money where his mouth is. He turns these buildings into economic development opportunities," he said.

Asked whether he was concerned about the space being vacant for almost a year, Gregory said, "They are very choosy about who goes in there. It has to be the right business and the right person."

Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. said a bakery or coffee shop would fit the city’s vision for the neighborhood.

"The whole concept is the village of Devon, and in a village you certainly have a coffee shop where neighbors can come and chew the fat," he said. "I can’t imagine two better uses for the building."

Chris Rhatigan can be reached at 876-6800 or crhatigan@nhregister.com.