The Town of Fairfield continues to be the lucky beneficiary of Kleban Properties’ persistent efforts. Kleban Properties Commercial Property Development and Management is a value-added real estate development company, which operates from its offices throughout Fairfield County; they own and operate office, retail and mixed use properties in several states. Their reputation has been built not only on an unwavering commitment to aesthetics and maintenance but also on their constant desire to improve town centers.
The company owns properties in Fairfield, Westport, Wilton, New Canaan, Deep River, Darien, Newington, West Hartford as well as Greenville, Alabama, Manchester, VT, and Naples, FL.
We caught up with Albert Kleban, President, as he exited an airplane in North Carolina to negotiate possible properties in NC and Virginia.
Al Kleban, born in Bridgeport in 1931, is a graduate of the University of CT and holds a Law Degree from its law school. “I was a trial lawyer and when I wasn’t trying cases, I represented people who were in the real estate business. That sparked my attention and little by little I invested in the real estate market,” said Kleban. He is well known in Fairfield County for his keen business acumen, his real estate expertise and his significant real estate portfolio — currently owning/controlling approximately one million square feet of retail/office space. His successes are numerous; election to the Law Review (UConn’s School of Law), Trustee of the University of CT for 23 years, appointment by Governor Ella Grasso as Chairman of the Public Utility Commission, and was appointed Federal Energy Administration and Energy Advisor to three Governors before retiring in 1978 from public service and returning to the practice of law and real estate development.
As premiere commercial real estate developers, the Kleban Properties generate positive cash flow, are well located, have strong historical occupancy, are meticulously maintained and a good rapport with tenants is kept — as they personally seek and attract both local and large national tenants and create destination sites.
“My wife, who I’ve been married to for 60 years years, was also born in Bridgeport. She is also a native of this area,” continued Kleban. “For 83 years I’ve lived in Bridgeport, Westport, Fairfield and now Southport. We have both spent a great deal of our lives in Fairfield. Our main interest is in Fairfield, it’s a town we really love and we see many opportunities that we will continue to pursue with the goal of making Fairfield a more interesting town and community.”
Properties in Fairfield include:
- The Brick Walk Promenade
- The Tower at the Brick Walk
- The Fairfield Center Building
- Rings End Plaza
- Fairway Plaza
- Black Rock Shopping Center and Turnpike Shopping Center
- Citibank Plaza
- Katona Corner
“I don’t do it alone. I do it with my son, Ken Kleban (partner) and with our staff — they contribute as much as we do to the success of our operation.”
Future Plans: Kleban Properties has ‘some major developments in the incipient state’ that are too premature to talk about right now’, but they will be able to, in the next several months. Stay tuned for the exciting follow up.
“Fairfield is an exciting place now and it’s going to be more exciting — especially if we are going to be permitted to do some of the things that I indicated are in the incipient stages,” said Kleban.