Plans OK’d For Corner Block, Tower Lane

Two developers got the green light to move forward on projects that will transform two blocks in and near Downtown and bring 269 more apartments to the city.

At their monthly meeting Wednesday night in City Hall, City Plan commissioners voted unanimously in favor of site plans for the two projects: a six-story, mixed-use building on a vacant lot at the corner of Orange and Chapel Street and another one to the intersection of Tower Lane and Church Street South.

The first approval went to developer Paul Denz of the Northside Development Co. Commissioners OK’d Denz’s site plan for the construction of a 46-unit apartment building with 4,200 square feet of retail on the first floor. Those apartments, currently known as the Corner Block Development, will join his previously approved plans for building another six-story, mixed-use building in the same block, which will have 120 new apartments. (Read more about that here and here.)

That project, where the former historic Kresge Department store once stood, is called the Mid Block Development. Commissioners approved it back in December. The Corner Block development will feature a mix of 28 micro-studios that average around 450 square feet, 13 one-bedrooms averaging about 750 square feet, and five two-bedroom apartments that average between 950 and 1,000 square feet.

Denz told the commission that he’s aiming to rent the apartments starting at about $1,200, which he considers a ​“sweet spot” for downtown that would be not quite market rate and certainly less than neighboring developments. He also noted to commissioners that his initial plans had called for building the Mid Block Development first and using the corner lot for construction staging. But now the goal is to build the two projects simultaneously. Construction is expected to start this year and be completed by 2021.

“We believe the two properties tied together are going to be pretty transformative for bringing foot traffic down Chapel and back into the Ninth Square,” he said.

Denz who also owns the FootLocker building that sits between the two sites he’s developing, promised to make some façade improvements to that building but has no plans to build above it. He noted that it is anticipated that the Dollar Tree will move on once its lease is up. Though Denz doesn’t own that building, he said he believed that the building’s owners, Michael and Tony Schaffer of C.A. White Inc., will be able to attract a higher quality tenant.

“It feels like that area will really take off,” Commission Chairman Ed Mattison said.

“It’s beautiful project and long overdue,” Commissioner Jonathan Wharton added.

Wharton had a question: What will happen to the bus shelters if first-floor retail was coming to the corner?

Denz made a prediction that surprised commissioners especially Wharton, who catches the bus there: The bus stops will likely be moved as part of the ongoing efforts of a New Haven-specific transit plan that would reduce the number of bus stops to create better headway times and more efficiency for CT Transit.

“That’s what we were led to believe by the transportation department,” he said.

A New Tower On Tower Lane

The second approval was for developer Randy Salvatore, who is homing in on developing the last parcel of his portion of the broader Hill-to-Downtown redevelopment plan.

Salvatore is preparing to cut the ribbon sometime next week on the first phase of his project — a four-story, 110-apartment, mixed-use development on Gold Street. The second phase, which will create 104 residential units and include amenities such as a gym, studies, lounges, a roof garden, and 52 parking spaces, is underway. That phase also calls for 30 more apartments on Prince Street and a six-story residential building that will be home to another 90 apartments and another 45 parking spaces on Congress Avenue.

The third phase, presented by his attorney Carolyn Kone Wednesday night, will be a six-story, mixed-used building with 223 apartments. The lower floor and part of the first floor will be home to a parking garage. The first floor also will be home to amenity space, two lobbies, and a bike room. There will be more amenity space on the second floor, including two courtyards and a swimming pool. The remaining upper floors will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Atogether, Salvatore’s part in the Hill-to-Downtown project will add nearly 600 apartments to the city’s count of dwelling units. And 30 percent of Salvatore’s units are expected to be for people who earn up to 80 percent of the area median income. He noted Wednesday that his development of the last parcel will be at the leading edge of a spate of things to come in the area. Tower One/Tower East is planning to build another tower, and plans for a reborn Church Street South are still unfolding.

City Plan Director Aïcha Woods also pointed out that another phase of the Downtown Crossing project is expected to get underway soon. This phase will connect Orange Street and South Orange Street over the current mess of semi-highways at MLK Boulevard, Rt. 34, and South Frontage Road.

“It’s exciting to see all that’s going on,” Salvatore said.