A local developer this week announced plans for a large residential and commercial complex on Route 34 in Derby that would be the city’s biggest redevelopment project in decades.
“The people of Derby have waited a long time for this,” Derby Mayor Richard Dzieken said in a statement.
Derby Development LLC has submitted a preliminary proposal to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission for 300 apartments in a three-to-four story building at Route 34 and Factory Street, according to a company statement. The proposed complex, dubbed Factory Street Square, includes commercial space for restaurants and shops on its ground floor, the developer said.
The owners said they would seek to attract Millennials and empty-nesters by offering amenities such as an on-site health club and library and dog-sitting and pet-grooming services.
Dziekan said in a statement that the city “couldn’t be happier” about the proposed project and promised to work closely with the developer to see it built.
“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 the city’s borders,” he said.
Derby Development is a partnership between the Barretta family, who operate Barretta Landscape & Gardens at 23 Factory St. in Derby, and developer Lepore & Sons of Old Saybrook and New Hartford. The Barrettas own most of the property on which the development would be built, according to the developer.
“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,” said Steve Lepore of Lepore & Sons.
Lepore said it’s too early to say how much the complex would cost or when it would be completed. “We have a general idea of what we are building; nothing at this time is exact,” he said.
The city cleared 19th-century buildings from the site more than a decade ago in hopes of spurring redevelopment, according to the developer.
Christopher Hoffman can be reached at news@newhavenbiz.com
