🔒Restaurant group proposes apartments above two planned restaurants in West Hartford Center

A restaurant group that announced plans last year to add two upscale restaurants in West Hartford Center now also proposes creating a second floor that could have up to six apartment units. Newtown-based Market Hospitality Group (MHG) operates upscale restaurants in the Northeast, including Mercato in Canton, Southbury and Shelton; The Wheel in Stamford; and Marketplace Kitchen & Bar in Shelton. It also operates Blu Pointe in Newburgh, New York. In September, MHG acquired the vacant building at 978 Farmington Ave. for $5.25 million from Center Equities LLC, which had owned the property since 1977. The location, which was home to a CVS Pharmacy until it closed in September 2023, is not far from Max’s Oyster Bar, at 964 Farmington Ave., and is next door to Treva, a restaurant at 980 Farmington Ave. MHG West Hartford LLC recently filed an application with the town seeking approval of a site plan to redevelop the building into “a new mixed-use building with ground floor commercial restaurant space and a new second floor containing five residential apartment units.” While the application is listed on the meeting agenda as including a second floor with five apartments, architectural drawings submitted to the town note that one of the proposed units may be split into two, one-bedroom units. According to the drawings, five two-bedroom, two-bath units are proposed to be included in a 10,435-square-foot second floor that would be constructed on top of the existing building. The proposal includes two, 1,300-square-foot apartment units, one 1,350-square-foot unit, a 1,550-square-foot unit and a 1,750-square-foot unit. It is that last unit that could be divided into separate one-bedroom units. A narrative included with the application states that the apartments will be “crafted for those who appreciate refined living, providing an extension of the vibrant, sophisticated experience just steps from their door.” The site plan also proposes adding both a staircase and an elevator to serve the second floor, and creating a rear entrance for residents. Parking for the apartments is included behind the building. MHG owner Eli Hawli said in December that his company plans to transform the 11,426-square-foot former CVS site on the ground floor into two restaurants, featuring a fourth Mercato location on one side and the state’s first Blu Pointe restaurant on the other. “These establishments are envisioned as unique culinary narratives, poised to significantly enhance the area’s dining scene,” the application narrative states. “The design prioritizes dynamic pedestrian engagement, featuring sidewalk dining, operable storefronts, and pedestrian-friendly signage and lighting.” The application will be discussed Thursday during a special meeting of the town’s Design Review Advisory Committee at 4:30 p.m. in Room 400 in West Hartford Town Hall.