Kenneth Boroson Architects rendering
The planned new apartment building at 19 Elm.
The City Plan Commission unanimously signed off on the Feldman brothers development company’s plans to knock down the vacant former Harold’s bridal shop and build a new seven-story, 96-unit apartment building — which is two stories and 50 apartments larger than the development the Feldmans initially planned on constructing at that site three years ago.
That vote took place Wednesday night during the commission’s regular monthly meeting.
As City Hall remains indefinitely closed to the public during the Covid-19 state of emergency, the two-and-a-half-hour meeting was held onlina via the Zoom teleconferencing app.
The commissioners unanimously voted in support of a site plan proposed by a subsidiary of the Feldmans’ MOD Equities for the creation of a new seven-story, 96-unit market-rate apartment building at 19 Elm St. downtown.
That’s the site of the long-vacant former Harold’s bridal shop, which the Feldmans’ company purchased for $1 million in 2016.
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Local attorney Gregory Muccilli (pictured) noted that MOD Equities originally received site plan approval from the City Plan Commission back in 2017 to build a five-story, 46-unit apartment building at that site.
“Shortly after receiving that approval, the city revised and amended Business District zoning regulations,” he said, allowing for greater residential density as of right at that location — and spurring the developers to reconsider their original plans.
These three years later, MOD presented — and received approval for — a second version of this development with significantly more apartments.
“They’re extremely committed to New Haven and plan to be doing business here for a while,” Mucilli said about the Feldmans, who have recently received site plan approvals for apartment projects at the former Church of the Redeemer and the English Building at 418 State St.
Kenneth Boroson Architects
The site plan application, which can be read in full here, indicate that the development will have 35 underground parking spaces and six at-grade, on-site parking spaces; ground-floor office and tenant amenity spaces; and a mix of studios, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments on the top six floors. The building will have a 3,252 square-foot rooftop deck, a gym, common room, study rooms, and indoor and outdoor storage for at least 20 bicycles.
Local architect Ken Boroson said that the building will have a total of 12 studio apartments, 36 two-bedrooms, and 48 one-bedrooms. The studios will be on average 465 square feet large, the one-bedrooms 687 square feet, and the two-bedrooms over 1,000 square feet.
“Adding 96 residential dwelling units to one of the most commercialized areas of the City will intensify the area and increase foot traffic and commerce among the several local restaurant and entertainment establishments consistent with the purpose of the Ordinance,” the application reads. “The proper functioning of the downtown area is as a commercial nexus for the City. This building, once completed and rented, will serve to increase commerce and create a more vibrant downtown area.”
The application states that the developers anticipate beginning construction upon site plan approval, with major construction to be completed by Spring 2021.