Force Automation Inc., a New Britain-based robotic arm manufacturer, is seeking approval to build and relocate to a new facility in Bristol’s business park.
An application for site plan approval was presented to the Bristol Planning Commission on Monday. It proposes erecting two buildings on Lot 3 on Business Park Drive — a 30,000-square-foot industrial building and a 12,000-square-foot structure described as a “tenant building.”
According to Timothy Furey — an attorney with the Bristol law firm Furey, Donovan, Cooney & Dyer PC, which is representing the applicant — Lot 3 is owned by the city but Force Automation has agreed to acquire the 6.53-acre undeveloped property for $288,000, contingent on site plan approval.
Force Automation takes robotic arms that are manufactured as generic parts, programs them to do what the end-user requests and then builds specific machines around the arms.
When completed, the proposed 30,000-square-foot building would include 13,000 square feet of manufacturing space, as well as 2,800 square feet of office space for front office and engineering staff and a 3,000-square-foot training facility for “future workforce development.”
The remainder of the building would be offered as an industrial tenant space, to be leased to a similar type of business.
The project, which has been approved by the city’s Economic Development Commission and its industrial committee, would be built in two phases. It would have 106 parking spaces once fully developed.
Furey said the company, which currently is located at 100 Production Court Unit B, is leaving New Britain on good terms but wants to build and own a larger space for manufacturing.
The Planning Commission accepted the application and scheduled it for a public hearing on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.
