Bulldozers are moving earth in a field behind Acura of Berlin, preparing the land for a 72-unit apartment development tied to the dealership and neighboring shopping plazas along the Berlin Turnpike.The luxury Turnpike Ridge Apartments — the work of Executive Auto Group owner John Orsini — is one of several multifamily developments underway in Berlin, […]
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Bulldozers are moving earth in a field behind Acura of Berlin, preparing the land for a 72-unit apartment development tied to the dealership and neighboring shopping plazas along the Berlin Turnpike.
The luxury Turnpike Ridge Apartments — the work of Executive Auto Group owner John Orsini — is one of several multifamily developments underway in Berlin, a largely suburban, upper middle-class town of about 20,000.
Two additional multifamily projects approved by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission in May will add dozens of additional units.
“So, now, for the first time we have market-rate apartments coming,” said Berlin Economic Development Director Chris Edge. “It is a somewhat rapid pace, no question. I think it’s important because we will have a place for people to not just work in town but also to live in town. People who grew up in Berlin can now come back and live somewhere that’s not their parents’ basement.”
Edge predicts the influx of apartments will also provide space for empty nesters to downsize, which in turn will bring more houses onto the market, creating additional work for remodelers.
A 16-unit apartment building of the Steele Center development along Farmington Avenue will be ready for tenants in July or August, according to Anthony Valenti, a partner in the mixed-use development by the town’s rail station.
Supply chain problems have put the first building of Steele Center months behind schedule, but high demand has kept the project moving.
There is a waiting list for the apartments, Valenti said.
He expects to begin building a nearby 13,000-square-foot mixed-use building with four apartments and first-floor retail space in the fall, about the same time site work begins on a 55-unit apartment building.
Supply chain issues also slowed down the Turnpike Ridge development.
The first of three, 24-unit apartment buildings was originally targeted for completion two years ago. Instead, ground was recently broken in mid-May. The apartments — in whole or a portion — are now anticipated to be ready for occupancy in late fall, according to Helene Cavalieri, sales executive with Berkshire Hathaway New England Properties Commercial Group.
The two-bed, two-bathroom luxury apartments will come outfitted with appliances. There will also be a clubhouse. Cavalieri said she is receiving a steady stream of callers interested in the first-come, first-served waiting list.
Cavalieri said Berlin’s central location, easy access to highways and other transport, along with well-developed retail and restaurant amenities have made it an attractive destination. She’s also seen a good deal of interest in residents looking to downsize.
Vibrancy and desirability
Farmington-based Metro Realty Group in April broke ground on an 88-unit multifamily development on 11 acres at 883 Deming Road. Thirty percent of the development will be affordable. It is slated for completion in late summer of next year. Metro’s plans were made possible by changes in zoning regulations two years ago.
Zoning changes also paved the way for the Turnpike Ridge and Steele Center developments.
Berlin Town Planner Maureen Giusti credits affordable land costs, a desirable location and the town’s flexibility with the burst of development.
“It’s indicative of the vibrancy and desirability of the town,” Giusti said.
Rocky Hill developer Peter D’Addeo broke ground late last year on a mixed-use development that will feature a gas station, convenience store, fast-food restaurant and 200 apartments on a 36-acre property along the Berlin Turnpike. Forty of the apartments will be affordable.
Berlin also has a full pipeline of developments yet to break ground.
In May, Berlin’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved 104 dwellings on a 20-acre portion of a 110-acre property carved off the Shuttle Meadow Country Club in the west side of Berlin. The development — dubbed “The Preserve” — will include 28 single-family homes and 76 multifamily units in 48 buildings of two- and four-family design.
The commission also approved adding five, three-family dwellings on a 6.8-acre property at 309 Main St. in East Berlin, which currently hosts a two-family house.
