West Hartford is undergoing a spurt of residential and commercial development that has added more than 300 new jobs and more than 800 new housing units.
All of that has resulted in more than $200 million of investment in houses, stores and offices that will push the value of West Hartford’s $5.9 billion real estate grand list further upward.
Mark McGovern, who wears economic development among his varied hats as the town’s director of community services, in March laid out a laundry list of residential and commercial developments either planned or underway.
Some, like the Delamar West Hartford luxury boutique hotel that will break ground this spring, have been previously reported.
McGovern laid out a raft of fresh details about previously undisclosed building projects and updates on ones already underway with West Hartford business people and community leaders, many of them in banking and real estate.
Here are highlights from his March 26 luncheon presentation to the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce at Wampanoag Country Club:
• Acadia Crossing. This is the proposed but still-evolving conversion of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s 22-acre convent property at the corner of Park Road and Prospect Street into 320 apartments, plus at least 35 more units as Sisters’ residences.
In all, development would add another 320,000 square feet of living and other space to the existing 185,000 square feet on the grounds. Center Development Co. of New York has an option to buy the property the Sisters have owned since 1885, pending outcome of town review of its proposals and other details, officials said.
A Center spokesman said the developer, who also built mid-town Hartford’s twin Park Place Towers apartments/condominium in the early ’80s, will air more details once those milestones have been reached.
• Pontiac Center site. As previously reported, the town’s public housing authority not long ago closed on the former car-dealership parcel at 616 New Park Ave., next to the new CTfastrak station at the corner of New Britain Avenue. Further up New Park, at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue, is a second busway station.
The housing authority is formulating best use of the site, which may include some 50 affordable apartments set above street-level retail or office. “At this point, it’s just a concept,” McGovern said.
• UConn’s campus site. It has 57 acres — much of it leased to the town for use as ballfields — plus five buildings and parking for 1,067 vehicles. UConn is set to vacate by 2017.
By state law, West Hartford has first crack at gaining title to the property because it’s within its borders. But first the town must figure out just exactly how much of the acreage can support development. The reason: Wetlands occupy several portions of the UConn acreage bounded largely by Asylum and Trout Brook roads, which limits its usage and development options.
The town won’t commit to taking deed to the site, currently zoned for residential use, until a thorough site analysis can be completed. McGovern didn’t offer a timetable for that.
Gregory Seay is the Hartford Business Journal News Editor.
