By: Cali Kees Follow @calikees

Graphic elements by: Joel Vanner Follow @joelvanner

On April 23 Quinnipiac University purchased a property for $6.5 million. The land is located at 305 Spruce Bank Road in Hamden, behind the Hilltop parking lot on the Mount Carmel campus. With four buildings on the property, one serves as the home of the university president and another building as a location for university functions.

Zoom into the map to view the property, 305 Spruce Bank Road.

The information in this story comes according to several documents obtained by Q30 News from Hamden Town Hall and a statement from William Weldon, chairman of the Quinnipiac Board of Trustees.

The President is home

“The university’s acquisition of the 32-acre property on Spruce Bank Road earlier this year was part of a strategic board decision to accommodate potential future growth of the Mount Carmel Campus,” Weldon said in a statement issued to Q30 News last night.

The chairman explained that acquiring this property had been a goal of the Board of Trustees for more than 20 years.

“Contiguous to the southern border of campus, the property contains four buildings, including one that serves as the home of our university president, and another that will be used for university functions,” Weldon said.

It is not uncommon for universities to purchase a president’s home. There are many throughout the country who have a president’s mansion or home that is passed down from president to president.

305 Spruce Bank Road is a property that spans 31.62 acres. According to the blueprints of the land, there are four structures on the property: a house (A), a carriage house (B), a stable (C) and a 60’ by 60’ alternative residence building (D). The blueprints also show a swimming pool, a pond and four existing concrete monuments. The property record lists 305 Spruce Bank, as having a tennis court and a gazebo (A).


Hover over the interactive image above to navigate the property. Be sure the browser window is set to full screen.

History of the property

The first owners of 305 Spruce Bank Road were Nicotra and Leon Salvatore back in 1982.

The first permits for the property date back to 1984 under the ownership of Nicotra and Bonnie Salvatore. In December of 1984, an eight-stall horse stable was built for $23,000. In August of 1986, the Salvatore’s filed a permit for an indoor riding arena and storage for $80,000.

Frank Perrotti Jr. bought the property in 1990 for $1,270,000. In 1991 he filed a permit to build an entrance gate for $2,500. Perrotti filed the most recent permit for this property in June of 2008 for a 60’ by 60’ alternative residence building for $300,000. Perrotti built much of this residence area himself, and contractors completed the work by 2009.

Perrotti’s significance

Perrotti died in 2016. He was a long time resident of Hamden and was born in New Haven. He served in the U.S. Army, was a local entrepreneur and was a devoted Quinnipiac ice hockey fan. In 2017, 305 Spruce Bank Road was signed over to the owners of his estate who later sold it to Quinnipiac.

Donald Weinbach, Quinnipiac’s vice president for development and alumni affairs, described Perrotti to the Quinnipiac Chronicle as “a neighbor, friend and benefactor of Quinnipiac University.”

Weinbach also said that Perrotti was probably the most loyal Quinnipiac Hockey fan that the program has seen. Quinnipiac named the ice hockey arena on the York Hill campus after Perrotti on Nov. 8, 2017.

This post was last updated at 9:00 a.m. August 31, 2018. This article will continue to be updated as new information is released.