New Interest in Downtown
Development
Derby Downtown LLC shows preliminary plan for Factory St.
Click image for a much larger image.
The
following news release was submitted by Derby Downtown LLC:
On
April 17, 2018, Derby Downtown LLC presented preliminary plans to the
Planning Sub-Committee of the Planning and Zoning Commission City of
Derby to develop a multi-use residential and commercial complex, Factory
Street Square, created to attract young millennials and empty nesters.
The
proposed initial building complex will feature 300 one to two-bedroom
unit apartments in a 3 to 4-storied building with retail stores, an
eclectic mix of restaurants, and office units on the ground floor.
Apartment leasing agreements will include amenity packages with access
to high-speed Wi-Fi, indoor golf simulator, health club, in-complex
library, bike racks, dog-sitting-walking-grooming services, and possibly
a rooftop garden and community spaces.
The
Factory Street Square mixed-use complex is proposed to offer easy
commuter access to Routes 8, 95 and the Merritt Parkway, plus the
Bridgeport-New Haven-Waterbury rail lines. Hiking, walking and biking
recreational trails are nearby and will add unique advantages to this
distinctive location.
The
predominant property in the development is owned by Jena-Bonazzoli-Barretta
and Christopher M. Barretta Sr. who have partnered with family members
and developers Jim and Steve Lepore to create Derby Downtown LLC. The
Barrettas have owned the property for almost 10 years and operate
Barretta Landscape and Gardens out of the Factory Street location.
Representatives of Derby Downtown LLC stated, “Since 2005, the City of
Derby has been working diligently to revitalize their once-industrial
downtown. The upcoming improvement to Main Street/Route 34 in this area
will demand a large-scale residential complex that offers affordable,
modern rental units and attractive lifestyle for today’s young and
retired Connecticut residents.
“Factory Street is immediately adjacent to where off Route 8 and
intersects with Main Street. This presentation before the Planning
Sub-Committee is the first step in an anticipated timeline of additional
presentations and public hearing that will take us to ‘shovels in the
ground’ by early 2019.”
City
of Derby Mayor Richard Dziekan commented, “I couldn’t be happier that we
are starting to see some action on the south side of Main Street. The
people of Derby have waited a very long time for this. My administration
is committed to being business and development-friendly and we will
continue to do whatever we can to accommodate everyone involved in
development within our city’s borders. We hope that once the Factory
Street project starts, it will create a ‘domino effect’ for the rest of
the downtown area. The private entities involved in the development of
Factory Street have been very organized and impressive in their
presentations to the city thus far, and I look forward to seeing their
concepts come to fruition.”
Derby Development LLC land use attorney Christopher J. Smith, Esq. of
Shipman & Goodwin LLP of Hartford, presented the developer’s plans to
the Planning Sub-Committee and commented, “It is a very exciting
proposal to be working on and this is a classic redevelopment plan. It
is a rare opportunity that all the pieces for such a large project are
in place at this early stage. The developer’s proposal presents a real
opportunity for this mixed use complex to have a meaningful impact on
the entire community.”
Factory Street Square is the result of the City of Derby demolishing
structurally unsound, long-neglected 19th-century buildings
beginning in 2003. In 2005, the City’s Redevelopment Agency adopted a
14-acre area south of Main Street known as the “Business Revitalization
District” which removed blighted buildings with the intention of making
the area an ‘active residential mixed-use community.
Derby Downtown LLC representatives commented, “Our proposed Factory
Street Square multi-use complex fits perfectly into the City’s vision of
bringing a youthful vibrancy, and a convenient and affordable style of
living. In addition to the easy access to Routes 8 and 95, the commuter
rail service, and fixed-route bus connections, the complex offers a
much-desired wealth of amenities all within a beautifully-designed
neighborhood.
Derby is the hub of the largest metropolitan area in Connecticut with
its borders reaching New Haven, Bridgeport and north to Waterbury, plus
it is just a one-hour drive to New York City. The popular Derby Greenway
Trail is easily accessed from the proposed Factory Street Square.
The
developers are looking forward to receiving public comment as the
proposal works through the various City of Derby boards and commissions.
Story posted on April 18, 2016
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