Farmington moves forward with development of 204 luxury apartments across from Batterson Park

Natasha Sokoloff

FARMINGTON — Farmington is moving forward with the construction of 204 luxury apartments across from Batterson Park that zoning officials expect will help address the town's need for workforce housing. 

When the Town Plan and Zoning Commission originally approved the multi-family development in April 2022, commissioners cited a need for smaller household options in the area, given its proximity to the UConn Health Center. Located at 80 Batterson Park, the site of the Pond View Apartments is also within a few miles of other employment hubs like Jackson Labs, Stanley Black & Decker and the West Farms Mall. 

And after the commission approved site plan modifications from the project's new developers at last week's meeting, construction could begin this fall, project officials said. 

Skala Partners, a Fairfield-based developer, took over as the project owners in March after buying the site from New York-based Sovereign Partners for $7.8 million, according to a March 2 news release from CBRE, which represented the seller. Skala Partners was founded in 2013 by Niko Koutouvides, former linebacker for the New England Patriots, and his brother Aristides Koutouvides.

The site plan modifications mostly included small refinements, but developers also introduced plans for additional on-site amenities for renters.

“When this opportunity came to the market, we just felt like it was something we couldn’t pass up,” said Aristides Koutouvides at the July 17 meeting. “So we’re really excited about bringing our own little perspective on the execution of this property.” 

The apartments will all be market-rate and within a four-story building, and the expected demographic is millennials, young professionals, empty nesters and medical center employees.

As of last year, UConn Health employed 6,255 people, or almost 20 percent of all employees in Farmington, said Tim Hollister, who represented the applicant at the April 11 meeting.

In addition, the number of jobs in Farmington far exceeds the available housing units, he said. This development aims to help address that.

According to the town’s affordable housing plan, over 60 percent of households are made up of one or two people, but over 60 percent of Farmington’s housing units have 3 or 4 bedrooms. This further suggests that the supply of smaller housing units has not kept up with demand.

Many commissioners expressed strong support for the project at the April meeting and liked that the location of the development provided easy access to the nearby employment centers and I-84 and Route 9, connecting to I-91.

When the previous developers presented the project last April, they said there would be 152 one-bedroom, 44 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom apartments. 

The development will now include studio apartments, but will still have 204 units, according to Skala Partners. The building will mainly accommodate one-year leases, but developers said there could be room for flexibility.

Prices per month for the different apartments would range from $1,400 for a one bedroom to $2,300 for a three bedroom, developers had said last April. The new project officials did not specify the current rates at the recent meeting.

None of the units will be designated as affordable, developers said at the July 17 meeting.

7.93 percent of Farmington’s total housing units are protected affordable units, according to 2020 data in Farmington’s affordable housing plan. Although this is a larger share of affordable units than surrounding Farmington Valley towns like Avon, which has around 4.1 percent, and Simsbury, with about 5.9 percent, Farmington does not meet the state's requirement for 10 percent either.

"When completed, Pond View Apartments will be the only Class A, institutional-quality apartment option in the town and will offer both convenient access to town amenities, transportation and high-quality retail," according to Skala Partners.

New plans introduced at the July 17 meeting included an underground parking garage, a dog park and adding dens to some of the units. 

The property comprises 11 acres of land with 237,000 gross square footage of improvements, now including the 16,000-square-foot subterranean parking garage, which will accommodate 40 parking spaces. 

The development will contain a total of 306 parking spaces, including the garage, surface and deferred parking, according to the most recent site plan.

Because the complex is a dog-friendly community, developers wanted to include a gated area for a dog park as well. Some commissioners expressed concerns at the meeting about maintenance for the dog park and its location over the infiltration system, but project developers said it would be fully maintained by the property manager and are considering relocation of the infiltration system.

Developers also told the commission they chose to add dens because of the modern-day trend of working from home, and they wanted to create an environment where renters could do that.

There is a lot of interest in financing the project, and developers are applying for construction permits now and hope to see activity this fall, they said at last week's meeting. The project is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2025, according to Skala Partners.

Meriden Housing Authority considers demolishing Community Towers

Mary Ellen Godin

MERIDEN — The Meriden Housing Authority Board of Commissioners voted Monday to undertake a study to determine the costs of completely demolishing Community Towers rather than doing a gut rehab.

The 11-story towers house low-income elderly and disabled adults in 220 units at 55 Willow St. The housing project, the last owned and managed by the MHA, has come under scrutiny after residents cited a number of security concerns. 

The request for proposals voted on by commissioners Monday would determine whether it would cost more to gut the 50-year-old towers or build new. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gives housing authorities discretion over their capital facilities, but plans must be approved by the regional HUD officials.  

“Even if we repair it, it’s still an old building,” said Robert Cappelletti, MHA executive director. “We expect the number to be better if we knock it down.”

Residents have complained about trespassers, who are let in by tenants, and deal drugs, deface property and sleep in the hallways of the buildings. Outside the property fence, locals set up a makeshift camp and loiter day and night under large trees. 

MHA officials have worked with city police and fire departments on safety measures for the towers. The shady lot was cleared of trees and the camp is now gone. Doors and entry systems have been revamped to improve security. 

“They did a beautiful job of clearing it up,” MHA vice chairman Scott Griffith said Monday. 

According to minutes of the board’s June 23 meeting, plans called for adding cameras both indoors and outdoors and installation of new door locks approved by the city fire marshal.

“We are still having people enter the building,” Cappelletti said. “We now only allow people to come through the front door.”

Tenants relocated during the demolition or rehab will be issued Section 8 vouchers to find other housing and be invited to move back in, once work is completed.

Cappelletti said the floor plan would be similar, but the existing 350-square-foot units will be larger. However, if there is a demolition, he is open to a redesign of the property including a change from high-rise towers to mid-rise buildings of four to five stories each.

 According to a HUD spokesman, public housing agencies are afforded the opportunity to develop, modernize or reposition their public housing inventory based on local housing needs and the physical condition of specific developments utilizing their capital funds.  

“Community Towers is being evaluated for renovation, which may address some of the resident concerns,” said Bruce Brodoff, public affairs specialist for HUD Region 1

26 acres in Newington sell for $2.3M to developer planning 225 luxury apartments

Michael Puffer

A planned 225-unit luxury apartment development in Newington is regaining momentum after the withdrawal of a court challenge, which was followed by a $2.3 million land sale.

In April 2022, Newington’s Zoning Commission approved a special permit allowing Pennsylvania-based multifamily builder A.R. Building Co. Inc. to build luxury apartments on a roughly 26-acre site along the Berlin Turnpike.

A neighbor appealed that approval, claiming the Zoning Commission acted contrary to regulations. That appeal was withdrawn June 6, court records show.

Culver Street Apartments LLC, an affiliate of A.R. Building Co., recently paid $2.3 million for undeveloped parcels at 35, 67 and 69 Culver St., as well as a 1,152-square-foot, 1936-vintage house on 0.76 acres on Deming Road. The sale of the properties, which tally about 26 acres,  was logged by the town in early July.

The seller was RD Three LLC.

Reno Properties Group, of Newington, announced Tuesday morning it was the sole broker of the sale. Reno said the buyer plans to build a Class A luxury apartment complex with a pool, fitness center and other amenities. The development will be in proximity to a Walmart, Lowe’s Home Improvement and other national retailers, according to the release.

“We pride ourselves on creating growth and expansion in central Connecticut, especially when we can be the connecting factor between buyers and sellers in complex transactions” Dan Garofalo, managing broker and principal at Reno Properties Group said.

Attempts to reach a representative of A.R. Building Co. were not immediately successful.

Planned $96M factory project in Windsor gets $1.5 million tax break

Michael Puffer

ABaltimore-based builder of prefabricated multifamily structures has been approved for a $1.5 million state tax break in return for 112 hires it plans for a new factory in Windsor.

The loan committee of Connecticut Innovations, on Tuesday, approved the tax break. The deduction will be applied against taxes on the anticipated $96 million cost of the new factory for Baltimore-based Blueprint Robotics Inc.

Blueprint, earlier this year, announced plans to build on a vacant 62.5-acre parcel at 11 Goodwin Drive. The company produces walls, floors, roofing systems and other building components to customer specifications at its existing 200,000-square-foot Baltimore facility, then assembles them on their customers’ sites.

The Windsor plant will serve a 300-mile radius and give Blueprint the capability to produce its own cross-laminated timer, a key component of modern mid- to high-rise buildings.

Phil Siuta, chief operating officer of Connecticut Innovations, the state’s quasi-public venture investment arm, said Blueprint will have three years following the issuance of a certificate of occupancy to meet its pledge to hire the equivalent of 112 full-time employees at its new Connecticut plant.

Speaking prior to the board meeting Tuesday morning, Siuta said the tax break is offered through an incentive program meant to help attract larger employers to the state, but was not a precondition for Blueprint’s commitment to build in Windsor. He called it “a very minor ask” in return for the investment in the factory and the creation of jobs.
The committee approved the request in just a few minutes Tuesday, heaping praise on the project.

“I’m grateful for this kind of transaction,” said committee member Bob Eick. “It’s exactly why we are here; it's a homerun for the state.”