DISTRICT OK’d For Next Phase

Days after aceremonial groundbreaking for a new tech and innovation campus at 470 James St., the developers got an OK to move forward with their construction plans once they finish demolishing a former CT Transit bus depot on the site.

The City Plan Commission approved the coastal and site plan review for the redevelopment of the site. The commissioners also approved a special permit that will allow developers David Salinas and Eric O’Brien to have more than 200 parking spaces to accommodate the future tech hub known as DISTRICT, which will not only provide space for businesses but a beer garden, kayak launch and even a multi-use trail. Developers also were able to secure a waiver that will give them a break from some of the requirements from shading on the industrial site.

Attorney Ron Bomengen said that the developers sought the waiver though they believe they will more than meet the standard of 50 percent of shading through the use of alternatives to asphalt and the white roofing they will use on the more than 100,000 square-foot building they’re constructing.

Without counting the roof, the development would miss meeting the standard by almost 7 percent, but City Plan staff acknowledged that they had made the efforts to meet the standard. But staff also noted in its report, ​“While the applicant likely come close to maximizing the shaded area of the site, it would be possible to achieve the additional 6.7 percent (9,556 SF) highly reflective hardscape surface by painting portions of the parking lot with a reflective coating or by extending the planned concrete portion of the driveway further into the parking lot.”

O’Brien of District NHV LLC testified at the commission meeting Wednesday night that they chose not to do the additional reflective coating because it doesn’t hold up well.

City Engineer Giovanni Zinn got the developers to commit on the spot to expanding the multi-use trail that is expected to be a part of the campus from an eight feet to 10 feet, which he said was the standard for mixed use.

O’Brien, who also is the owner of CrossFit Gym, along with his DISTRICT development partner, Salinas, who owns the Digital Surgeons company, won a competition to buy the abandoned CT Transit site and build the new $22 million project.

With demolition underway, O’Brien said, the project is still on pace to start construction in July or August and be complete enough for its first tenants to move in by January 2017 even if all the landscaping isn’t complete.