The owner of a Simsbury office property is seeking to add multifamily housing to the site, as part of a proposed mixed-use redevelopment.
The owner of 1-3 Mill Pond Lane, Alex Ilchenko, has submitted a preliminary plan to rezone the 3.4-acre site to a Planned Area Development (PAD) that would allow construction of 14 two-bedroom, town house-style multifamily units alongside an existing 14,000-square-foot office building.
The two-story office building would remain in use, while the new housing is proposed for the eastern portion of the property, on land currently used for excess parking and a tennis court.
The proposal was discussed by the Simsbury Zoning Commission during a March 16 preliminary development plan review, where commissioners asked questions about the residential layout, parking and roadway design.
The site, located in the Powder Forest area, is currently zoned industrial but is surrounded by properties that have already been converted to multifamily housing, according to the project application.
Project materials indicate the office space is fully leased with small businesses. The applicant is proposing to maintain the commercial use while introducing residential units to create a mixed-use site.
The applicant said the project would diversify the site’s use and add to the town’s tax base while leveraging existing infrastructure.
The proposal will require zoning approval and additional review by local land-use boards before any construction can begin. Ilchenko purchased the property October 2023 for $1.12 million, according to property records.
