A proposed performing arts academy for children and teens would convert part of an industrial building in Newington into a performance and training venue featuring a 264-seat theater.
Christopher O’Neill is seeking a special permit to open the All Abilities Academy for the Performing Arts in part of the 40,137-square-foot building at 50 Rockwell Road.
The Town Plan and Zoning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the application at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 22.
The property is owned by 50 Rockwell Road LLC, care of Reno Properties, according to meeting documents.
The academy would renovate 14,579 square feet of warehouse space into rehearsal rooms, classrooms, performance areas, storage, restrooms and staff offices.
Plans include a 3,500-square-foot main theater with 264 fixed seats and a 1,280-square-foot black box theater without permanent seating. The two venues would not operate simultaneously because the black box space would serve as a green room during main-stage productions, according to the application.
No exterior changes are proposed other than new signage.
Town planning staff has recommended approval, saying the proposal complies with parking requirements and that the fire marshal raised no concerns about occupancy. Staff recommended two conditions: striping parking spaces in the southeast corner of the lot to match a previously approved site plan and removing stockpiled materials from that area to maximize parking.
The building is anchored by Community Residences Inc., a Connecticut nonprofit that provides residential, employment, foster care and adoption services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other needs. The organization expanded into the building in 2015, and its CRI Therapeutic Foster Care & Adoption program also operates there.
Commercial real estate listings show about 14,000 square feet of warehouse and flex space has been available for lease since 2024.
The site has 157 shared parking spaces, used by Community Residences primarily on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The application says the academy’s busiest periods would generally occur outside those hours. A sold-out performance would attract a maximum of about 345 people, including audience members, performers, crew, staff and volunteers, requiring an estimated 95 parking spaces. Performances would be held on some weekday evenings after 5:30 p.m. and on weekends.
Under town zoning regulations, the proposed use requires between 49 and 66 parking spaces, depending on the calculation method, according to the staff report.
Rehearsals would generally be held Monday through Thursday evenings during the school year, with some Saturday sessions. An eight-week summer program would operate weekdays between June and August.
Because the property is in Newington’s Planned Development zone, the theater requires a special permit.
