After a protracted legal battle, the Torrington Development Corporation (TDC) has been granted approval to proceed with the sale of the former Yankee Pedlar Inn. Since early 2021, the City of Torrington and TDC have been pursuing the intricate legal remedies afforded under a newly enacted state statute (CGS 8-169aa) that established a mechanism to rehabilitate abandoned, blighted properties.
The subject property was acquired by Jayson Hospitality LLC in late 2014 and the building was gutted without specific approvals in 2015. Over the next 5 years, city departments attempted to work with the owners to encourage redevelopment. As building conditions continued to decline and fire safety emerged as a mounting concern, Former Mayor Elinor Carbone recommended that the city and the Torrington Development Corporation initiate the lawsuit against Jayson to provide stabilization in the short-term and proceed with a long-term redevelopment strategy that would preserve the historic integrity of the building.
The Honorable Anne Lynch, Judge of the Superior Court of Litchfield County, rendered the decision on May 19, 2026, after the City of Torrington rested its case against the defendant, Jason Hospitalities, on May 9, 2026. In her decision, Judge Lynch provided a detailed historical account of the proceedings and cited details from the TDC’s expert witnesses while also considering the lack of factual data provided by the defendant. Lynch’s decision concurs with the sale of the property for $450,000 to the TDC’s selected developer, Parker Benjamin of Unionville, CT.
“The former Yankee Pedlar Inn is integral to the economic health of our Main Street and this decision is a critical step in overcoming long-standing abandoned and blighted conditions of this gem to return to productive use”, Greg Perosino, TDC President, remarked.
Carbone, whose administration initiated the lawsuit in 2021 and who now serves as a member of the TDC, was delighted and thankful. “I have been waiting for this for a long time and so has the entire city and city staff. While our work is just beginning, we are looking forward to finalizing the sale under the court’s directives and moving forward with Parker Benjamin, our preferred developer.
Parker Benjamin, who was selected through a Request for Proposal process, has extensive experience in the rehabilitation and redevelopment of historic properties throughout Connecticut.
“We are grateful to our fleet of experts led by Attorneys Kevin Nelligan and former corporation counsel Michael Magistrali, and the content expertise of McElroy, Deutsh, Mulvaney & Carpenter, along with our technical experts Valarie Ferro of Good Earth Advisors, Vincent O’Brien of Kerin Fazio appraisers, and BL Companies”, Perosino added.
The TDC also acknowledges the guidance and support of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), which provided brownfield assessment funding that led to compelling technical documentation of the condition of the building. DECD has also appropriated remediation funding that will precede redevelopment.