STAMFORD — Five apartment buildings in the Harbor Point development in the city’s South End have sold to a Manhattan firm for a total of approximately $395 million, in one of Stamford’s largest-ever real estate deals.
GAIA Acquisitions has acquired from Harbor Point owner Building and Land Technology The Key at Yale & Towne, the Vault Apartments, The Lofts at Yale & Towne, 111 Harbor Point and the Postmark Apartments. Together, those properties house approximately 1,200 apartments at Harbor Point.
Officials from BLT and GAIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Since its construction began in 2009, Harbor Point has transformed a once-industrial section of the city’s waterfront into a 100-acre development. The mixed-use complex now houses some 2,360 apartments, with another 2,400 planned. Some 30 retailers and 15 restaurants operate at Harbor Point. The sale netted the city $1.976 million in conveyance taxes.
Major traffic changes in downtown Meriden
MERIDEN — The city plans to radically alter downtown traffic, converting key streets to two-way traffic and reversing the direction of other one-way streets. City officials believe the changes will enhance travel downtown, reduce speeds and increase driver safety.
“We think it’s exciting to make these huge changes,” said Public Works Director Bob Bass.
1. East Main Street at Pratt Street
East Main Street will shift from one-way westerly traffic to two lanes of traffic in each direction starting at the intersection of Pratt Street. That intersection will be changed, eliminating the left turn channel from Perkins Street. For pedestrians crossing the street, there will no longer be an island dividing traffic and turn lanes on Perkins Street.
“The island is going to be removed and the entire intersection reconfigured,” said Associate City Engineer Howard Weissberg.
The sidewalks along East Main Street will be expanded four feet to accommodate additional road width and signal lights will be replaced.
2. State Street State Street will have two-way traffic passing in front of the new train station. Westbound drivers on East Main Street will have a turn lane to get onto State Street, allowing traffic to flow more freely through the intersection. The one-way section of State Street street that cuts between Perkins Street and East Main Street will switch to the opposite direction, with traffic flowing from Perkins Street to East Main Street.
At the rail crossing, additional gates will be installed on the western side of the tracks to halt traffic for passing trains, Weissberg said.
3. West Main Street at Colony Street
This intersection will be the hub of some of the most radical changes, The series of one-ways cutting between West Main Street and Perkins Street will be eliminated in favor of an expanded green area. A single southbound one-way will remain between West Main Street and Hanover Street. The two lanes of traffic on East Main Street will dwindle down to one lane in each direction when the road shifts to West Main Street at the Colony Street intersection.
“This intersection is going to undergo a massive reconstruction in the future plan,” said Weissberg.
4. Hanover Street
Plans call for Hanover Street to have one-way traffic in the opposite direction of the current traffic flow. Cars will now travel south from West Main Street or west on Perkins Street to Hanover Street.
5. Perkins Street
The one-way street will shift to a combination of one-way and two-way traffic.
“You will be able to travel from East Main Street in a southerly direction all the way into south Meriden,” Bass said. “You will also have the opportunity for people to turn left onto South Colony, so we’ll reduce the number of cars going over the rail road tracks because that’s an issue we have had.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Waterford - Superintendent Randall Collins said Monday that the cost to renovate the high school could be more than the anticipated $60 million.
The School Building Committee and JCJ Architecture of Hartford, however, are still working on the details, including the size of the project and the costs. ”Until we get down to a more detailed plan, we can't be specific on the costs,” said Board of Education Chairman Donald Blevins. “But because of the state of the economy, we can hope for some lower bids.” Gregory J. Smolley, a principal at JCJ Architecture said at this time the renovation would keep the size of the building the same, at 260,000 square feet. The town would be eligible for state reimbursement up to 199,000 square feet. View the site plans for the high school projectCollins said one of the factors for the potential cost increase is the addition of an emergency access road to Miner Lane. On Monday, the school board agreed to present the proposed renovation plans to the public. Residents can tune into channel 22 every day this week at 7 p.m. until Sunday to watch the meeting. At the start of next year, tours of the school will be offered for residents to provide inputDeveloper buys former Church Street bank in New Haven
NEW HAVEN >> The owners of one of the city’s most iconic bank buildings has just bought another. David Kuperberg of Cooper Square Realty in New York has purchased 45 Church St., the former Connecticut Savings Bank, from Jason Carter for $1.55 million.
Kuperberg, through Cooper Church LLC, bought and developed the 1927 former Union Trust Bank building at 205 Church St., across from the New Haven Green, three years ago and converted it into 136 apartments.This summer, an enthusiastic Kuperberg, gave a tour of The Union, and predicted he would be back for another investment in the city. “New Haven is beyond my instincts and thoughts as to how good of a city this place is,” Kuperberg told the city officials, bankers, developers and business crowd that came to the tour. He also offered to talk up the city to other developers.
Cooper Square Realty, as of 2013, managed a client portfolio of over 500 condominiums, cooperatives and rental properties comprising more than 70,000 apartments, according to its website. “They love New Haven, obviously,” said attorney James Segaloff, who represented Kuperberg in the sale. As to what the new owner wants to do with the building, “there are no specific plans at the moment,” Segaloff said. “They have a good feel for development in New Haven,” he said.Carter bought the 45 Church St. property in April of 2015 for $1.65 million in the hopes that city would develop it into a cultural center celebrating its history, but New Haven was not able to secure a grant or investor to carry out those plans. Carter then offered to give the property to Gateway Community College, which is located across the street, but the state couldn’t commit to the deal and Yale University also wasn’t interested in taking over the building. Matthew Nemerson, the city’s economic development administrator said it would cost more than $10 million to stabilize the 1906 former bank.Nemerson thanked Carter for buying the building. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE