Melissa Bailey Photo
Israeli-born developer Bongart schmoozes with Harp at the Anchor.
A storied downtown watering hole drew a new breed of New Haven real estate mavens to dish out donations for Toni Harp’s mayoral campaign.
Harp (pictured), the Democratic nominee for mayor, is running against petitioning candidate Justin Elicker in the Nov. 5 general election. She showed up Thursday to Anchor Restaurant at 272 College St. to meet some new faces and take in donations.
The event was hosted by real estate developer Yochi Levitansky (at right in photo), who is rebuilding a neglected but historic building in Newhallville, and Ron Hurt, a Hill neighborhood pastor who also works in real estate. The campaign raised $5,000, according to Harp campaign manager Jason Bartlett.
Visitors arriving for the shindig first came across Albert DiCicco (pictured), who was stationed outside, smoking a cigar. DiCicco, of Hamden, took over management of the Anchor 2 1/2 years ago with downtown developer David Nyberg. He said they didn’t do any major renovations to the bar, known for its low-key vibe, marine theme, and blue vinyl booths.
“We kept it that way because of nostalgia,” he said.
The Anchor provided glasses of wine …
… and some finger food, including cinnamon-dusted apple strips.
Harp showed up at 5 p.m. and sipped a glass of red wine with her campaign finance director, Andrea Scott, a retired staffer for the state Department of Economic and Community Development. Harp chatted with a waitress about Obamacare as she waited for the guests to arrive.
Once the guests trickled in, Harp met Nir Bongart (pictured at the top of this story). Bongart, of Israel, moved to New Haven 18 years ago to attend the University of New Haven. He now runs a small company called KNB Design, which he said supplies kitchen cabinets to all the major landlords in town.
Bongart said he used to supply cabinets to Toni Harp’s late husband, Wendell Harp, who ran a real estate company called Renaissance Management.
“Her experience speaks for itself,” Bongart said. “She’s a long time in this business.”
Harp’s husband’s company has since been passed down to her son, Matthew. Toni Harp has said she has never been involved in the company, but several people in the crowd Thursday cited her family’s work as evidence that she would be understanding of developers’ needs.
Around half past five, a dozen members of the real estate world stopped chatting to listen to brief remarks.
James and Bartlett.
Hill Alderwoman Jackie James, standing in a room of mostly unfamiliar faces, welcomed the crowd on behalf of the Democratic Town Committee, which she chairs.
In a brief stump speech, Harp professed empathy for those in the real estate world.
“I want you to know I appreciate everything you do. I do know how hard it is” to navigate government bureaucracy to get development done, she said. She said it is often too difficult. “In my administration, it will not be.”
Jacob and Josef Feldman (at center and right in photo), who run a company called Mod Equities, listened to her remarks. The brothers represent a new wave of developers seeing opportunities in New Haven. They moved to New Haven from New York three years ago. They have been buying up properties to rent out as apartments in East Rock and Wooster Square. Josef Feldman said with Yale’s School of Management nearing completion in East Rock, and Alexion Pharmaceuticals moving downtown, the rental market is only getting better.
The Feldmans said they learned about Harp through their lawyer, Jimmy Segaloff, who “said great things about her.”
All the visitors greeting Harp Thursday came from a close-knit real estate world, said Carol Horsford (at right in photo with her leasing agent, Pete DiGangi). Horsford runs her own real estate company from East Rock’s Edwards Street. She grew up on Prospect Street and just recently moved to Hamden. Horsford said her mother, who still lives on Prospect Street, is supporting Elicker, but Horsford is backing Harp.
“It’s obviously really important to support the new political organization coming in,” she said. She said given that Renaissance Management is a large landlord, Harp will be sympathetic to the concerns of those who work in real estate.
She said Elicker is smart, but “Toni has all the history and the pedigree.”