Talk of a sluggish economy may dominate the national conversation, but don’t tell that to the town of Branford.Despite the pandemic, supply chain woes and inflation, Branford is seeing strong economic activity, especially its housing sector, according to Town Planner Harry Smith.“I think the market is strong,” said Smith, who has been the town’s planner […]
Get Instant Access to This Article
Subscribe to Hartford Business Journal and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
- Critical Hartford and Connecticut business news updated daily.
- Immediate access to all subscriber-only content on our website.
- Bi-weekly print or digital editions of our award-winning publication.
- Special bonus issues like the Hartford Book of Lists.
- Exclusive ticket prize draws for our in-person events.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Talk of a sluggish economy may dominate the national conversation, but don’t tell that to the town of Branford.
Despite the pandemic, supply chain woes and inflation, Branford is seeing strong economic activity, especially its housing sector, according to Town Planner Harry Smith.
“I think the market is strong,” said Smith, who has been the town’s planner for eight years. “The interest is strong. We see more applications in … planning and zoning than anytime since I’ve been here.”
Smith said he can’t put his finger on exactly what’s driving the town’s growth, which is concentrated in new apartments but also includes plans for an Amazon distribution center, a new ALDI supermarket and an under-the-radar bioscience sector. He said robust economic growth in New Haven may be part of the reason.
“I think we are gaining from what’s going on regionally,” he said.
Transit-oriented development
Suburban Connecticut towns often have the reputation of opposing new housing, especially high-density development, but that’s not the case in Branford. The town of 28,000 wants to diversify its housing stock for a variety of reasons, including offering more choices for older residents, attracting young people to town and repurposing derelict industrial spaces, Smith said.
He estimated the town has approved about 500 new apartments in recent years with more to come.
One of the largest and most prominent new projects is Mariners' Landing on May Street along the Branford River. The 147-unit luxury apartment complex is typical of the new housing springing up around town, said Salvatore Marottoli, whose Oakwood Development and Cherry Construction companies are building the project.
An overview of the Mariners' Landing project, which will include four residential buildings.
The complex, which Marottoli said he hopes will debut later this year, will include a gym, day spa, cafe, rooftop decks, walkways along the river and other amenities. It’s also a five-minute walk from the shops and restaurants in Branford’s downtown, he said.
“It’s about quality of life. We always look for something above and beyond,” Marottoli said of the complex.
Marottoli said the units will target two types of tenants: Young professionals who expect to change jobs, move frequently and are therefore uninterested in buying a house, and middle-aged empty nesters. Both are strong markets for high-end apartments, he said. Monthly rents have not yet been set.
Mariners' Landing is the latest project in a decades-long effort to redevelop the long-shuttered Malleable Iron Fittings factory complex, a sprawling brownfield along the Branford River that once served as the town’s largest employer and taxpayer, said First Selectman James Cosgrove.
Like many Connecticut towns, Branford must contend with the bones of its industrial past. Not only does Mariners' Landing put a big chunk of the property back into productive use and onto the tax rolls, it also opens up access to the river thanks to planned public walkways, Cosgrove said.
“It's a major piece,” Cosgrove said. “What that development addresses is a large portion of the property.”
There have been efforts to redevelop other brownfields in town, including the Atlantic Wire property on Meadow Street, Smith said.
Mariners' Landing is also close to the town’s upgraded train station, making it a transit-oriented development, Cosgrove and Smith said. Such development encourages towns and cities to build housing and commercial space near transit hubs like train stations, thereby reducing highway congestion and promoting higher-density land use.
Mariners' Landing’s proximity to a Metro-North station — just across the street — fits perfectly into that vision, Smith and Cosgrove agreed.
“I think it dovetails with the thinking at the state level of how to promote increased retail and housing opportunities and minimize traffic congestion,” Smith said. “One way to do this is to increase density along transit, railroads and busways.”
New housing — the town has also seen an uptick in single-family homes, Cosgrove said — isn’t the only thing driving economic development in Branford. The town also has a thriving biotech sector — home to companies like Abcam, IsoPlexis and Tangen Biosciences Inc. — as well as numerous businesses along its busy Route 1 corridor, town officials said.
Looking ahead, Cosgrove said the town still has plenty of land zoned for industrial use that he’d like to see developed. Another challenge is repurposing retail properties that have closed due to the shift toward online shopping, Smith said.
“Branford has positioned itself well,” Cosgrove said. “We have location, quality of life and we’re a shoreline community. We have lots to offer in terms of quality of life and a mix of activities, business as well as recreation activities.”
