SOUTHINGTON — Proposed and approved developments could add hundreds of condominium and rental units to the town’s housing stock, many aimed at attracting retirees to new luxury homes.
Five projects, four of which have been approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission, would add nearly 450 condos and apartments.
Greenway Commons is the largest development and has been the longest in the works. In 2007, the commission approved 263 condos and a retail component for the former Ideal Forging property. The project has floundered, but recently finished factory demolition.
Two other downtown projects include a 34-unit complex on Liberty Street that will have 31 age-restricted apartments and a Forgione Drive apartment complex that will have 64 units. Of those, 41 will be age-restricted apartments and the remainder will be two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom townhomes selling for around $190,000.
Local developer Mat Florian received approval to build a three-building, 22-unit condominium complex on the site of the former Board of Education property on Beecher Street.
Plans for a Laning Street development haven’t been submitted to the town, but adjacent property owners have been informed of the proposed 60-unit, 55-and-older community at a meeting with developers. According to those plans, the condos will be between 1,200 and 1,500 square feet. They’ll cost between $340,000 and $350,000 CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
MANCHESTER — A development company that is set to buy a subsidized housing complex plans an $11.5 million building and renovation project, including construction of a new community center.
The planning and zoning commission recently approved an application for improvements at Squire Village, a 374-unit complex off Spencer Street. Plans include construction of a 6,988-square-foot community building, addition of five apartments and modification of 10 existing apartments into handicapped-accessible units. Construction is to start in the spring and be completed by the winter of 2016-17.
The applicant, Rose Affordable Housing Preservation Fund Squire Preservation, is part of Jonathan Rose Cos., described on its website (www.rosecompanies.com) as "a mission-based, green real estate policy, development, project management and investment firm." The company is set to close on the purchase of the complex in February.
The community building is to be on what is now open land at the southeastern corner of Channing Drive. Floor plans show the building is to include a large common area, an exercise room, a library and meeting and study rooms. Decisions about the location and design of the building were driven in large part by Squire Village's demographics, which show 379, or 44 percent of current residents, are 18 or younger, according to the applicant. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUEEnergy Park worth $50M to Beacon Falls
BEACON FALLS — The town will receive $49.7 million over the next 23 years if a proposed Beacon Falls Energy Park is built. The Board of Selectmen has unanimously approved a tax stabilization plan that gives the town payment in lieu of taxes, which will be paid in 45 semiannual installments that will increase gradually over time. "It's very exciting," First Selectman Christopher J. Bielik said. "There was a tremendous amount of group work that went into this by a lot of people to make sure we got the best deal for the town and to help the developers with their proposal."
That proposal is part of a competitive bid process that Beacon Falls Energy Park LLC has to enter into to convince the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts that their project, as opposed to others that could be proposed, best helps to meet regional clean energy goals. The town wanted to have an agreement that would benefit taxpayers and also give the company the best chance at winning the bid, Bielik said. The proposed 63.3-megawatt fuel cell project, if constructed, would be the largest fuel cell facility of its kind in the world, and the largest Class I renewable energy facility in Connecticut, according to the company. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection standards considers fuel cells Class I renewable energy sources, meaning they are among the cleanest energy alternatives on the market. The project will provide energy to approximately 60,000 Connecticut residents and businesses and "will be a robust addition to Connecticut's renewable energy portfolio," said William Corvo, the company's manager.
On top of the local payments, the project will pay income and sales taxes to the state. "The project will also sustain Connecticut manufacturing and construction jobs and generate several millions of dollars in tax revenue for the state of Connecticut at a time when such economic benefits are needed in the state," Corvo stated in a news release. If constructed, it would be built between 2016 and 2019 on a former sand and gravel mine on Lopus Road. It is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2019. Torrington-based O&G Industries Inc. is the parent company of Beacon Falls Energy Park LLC and the contractor for the project. The fuel cells will be manufactured by FuelCell Energy Inc., a Danbury company that has a manufacturing facility in Torrington.