8 replies to this topic

[fivedayrental]

For the last 3 or 4 years, the former Union Carbide site (560 acres) in Danbury has been the topic of much debate for its devolpment. It is the last big open area in the city . Current plans for the site include a total of 1200 housing units, about 1/2 million square feet of office spaces, stores, space for technogly companies, and maybe even a minor league baseball stadium. Over 1/2 of the acreage will remain open space. After much searching, I have found a master plan and zoning map for it.

http://www.saccschif.....e Danbury.pdf

[MadVlad]

fivedayrental, on Jan 2 2006, 12:20 PM, said:

For the last 3 or 4 years, the former Union Carbide site (560 acres) in Danbury has been the topic of much debate for its devolpment. It is the last big open area in the city . Current plans for the site include a total of 1200 housing units, about 1/2 million square feet of office spaces, stores, space for technogly companies, and maybe even a minor league baseball stadium. Over 1/2 of the acreage will remain open space. After much searching, I have found a master plan and zoning map for it.

http://www.saccschif.....e Danbury.pdf

I'm thinking there's a big over-saturation of minor league parks around, New Haven, Bridgeport, New Britain, Bristol, Norwich....

[fivedayrental]

MadVlad, on Jan 2 2006, 06:18 PM, said:

I'm thinking there's a big over-saturation of minor league parks around, New Haven, Bridgeport, New Britain, Bristol, Norwich....

That is what i was thinking too. Prior to that, some Indian group up in Kent (Litchfield County) was trying to get recongination so they could build a casino there but it didn't work out and the city based an ordiance to ban all casinos. In addition to those minor league parks, there is also one in Newburgh,NY (25 minutes away) so i don't think the baseball stadium will work out. If there will not be a baseball stadium as a part of the site, according to the site map, the area designated for the stadium will become just offices.

[fivedayrental]

Article about the 'New Surbanism' project in Danbury from the NY Times

http://www.nytimes.c...ate/26wczo.html

[Phillydog]

Are there only two examples of this latest version of suburban sprawl in New England?  This one in Danbury and another in Massachusetts?

Edited by Phillydog, 06 March 2006 - 12:34 AM.

[HartfordTycoon]

Phillydog, on Mar 6 2006, 01:32 AM, said:

Are there only two examples of this latest version of suburban sprawl in New England?  This one in Danbury and another in Massachusetts?

Probably. Us New Englanders tend to be late to the show. This is the land of steady habbits. Unfortunately.

[fivedayrental]

They actually have a better website now for this'new urbanism'/ suburbanism project'. They could have done a lot better. At least the city is trying to better itself by trying to get passed through the zoning board 4 or 5 eight story affordable ($250,000 for a 1 bedroom) apartment towers on a 3 or 4 acre site downtown

http://www.wcicommun...?...4&vid=104_2

[fivedayrental]

fivedayrental, on Jul 1 2006, 09:35 PM, said:

They actually have a better website now for this'new urbanism'/ suburbanism project'. They could have done a lot better. At least the city is trying to better itself by trying to get passed through the zoning board 4 or 5 eight story affordable ($250,000 for a 1 bedroom) apartment towers on a 3 or 4 acre site downtown

http://www.wcicommun...?...4&vid=104_2

The new urbanism project is underway. From driving by the one of the enterences to it, the townhome exteriors do not look really appropriate for the area. The smallest townhome models available now start around $100,000 more than comparable units built within the last 5 years. The state is even asking the devolper to add auxiliary lanes on 84 and to widen the on/off ramps of the 2 exits bordering the community.The units are selling very well.

[fivedayrental]

fivedayrental, on Nov 30 2007, 07:42 PM, said:

The new urbanism project is underway. From driving by the one of the enterences to it, the townhome exteriors do not look really appropriate for the area. The smallest townhome models available now start around $100,000 more than comparable units built within the last 5 years. The state is even asking the devolper to add auxiliary lanes on 84 and to widen the on/off ramps of the 2 exits bordering the community.The units are selling very well.

I was up here a few days ago. They have about 200 units up. The developer, WCI communities, is going through chapter 11. It wasn't because of this devolpment, but because of their projects in Florida & other parts of the country. Prices of the units the builders own have come down, but not down enough. I feel sorry for the people that bought them at the point, put a lot of money in upgrades, and would be lucky to break even on selling them. Some of the resale units are heading toward foreclosure. I bet some other devolper is going to purchase the land cheap and keep building the project because the location can not be beat.