Date: Fri 12-Feb-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Fairfield-Hills-development

Full Text:

State Releases Proposals For Fairfield Hills Development

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

The state Office of Policy and Management (OPM) has disclosed the 12 proposals

submitted by firms interested in the private acquisition and redevelopment of

the core campus at Fairfield Hills.

Almost all proposals involve some degree of residential development, in the

form of renovating existing buildings, building new housing, or doing both.

Most proposals include some commercial development to accompany residential

growth, including features such as hotel/conference centers, stores, offices

and golf courses.

Two developers propose complexes featuring technology-based industry,

including research and development facilities with offices.

The state is seeking to sell the 186-acre core campus of Fairfield Hills, a

facility which contains one million square feet of enclosed space in 16 major

buildings. About 100 acres of the site is open space and available for

development. Fairfield Hills, which is now largely vacant, closed as a state

mental institution in December 1995.

First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal is one of eight members of the Fairfield

Hills Selection Committee, a town-state panel charged with choosing a firm to

acquire and redevelop the property. The committee is slated to narrow down the

field of 12 contenders next month. A developer for the property is scheduled

to chosen by June.

Asked which of the 12 proposals appear to make for good redevelopment projects

for Fairfield Hills, Mr Rosenthal was not specific but said Tuesday, "I think

there were a couple of very good ones... pretty attractive."

Selection committee members are working to decide which proposals are the best

ones for the property, he said. Some of the applicants apparently put much

effort into their proposals, while others apparently did not, based on the

level of detail provided in the submission documents, he said.

So far, the selection committee has only asked for general redevelopment

concepts for the property, he said, adding redevelopment ideas for Fairfield

Hills could change.

Although some of the applicants may not have particularly interesting

redevelopment ideas for the property, they have good development experience

and their concepts might be modified, the first selectman said.

"I didn't see any one [proposal] that was 100 percent," he said.

Mr Rosenthal declined to specifically comment on any of the 12 proposals

submitted for review.

The first selectman said he is seeking a redevelopment plan that would

generate more tax revenue for the town than it would cost the town in terms of

providing municipal services, a plan which is "friendly to the community," and

a redevelopment project which would keep with the character of the town.

Most of the applicants represent a cluster of several development companies

which would work together to redevelop the property.

The 12 redevelopment proposals, in no particular order, are as follows:

Newtown Technology

Park Associates

Newtown Technology Park Associates, LLC, of Bridgeport proposes adapting

existing buildings for biotechnology development and state-of-the-art

industrial uses.

Under the proposal, developer Aaron Hochman would seek to attract

technology-based companies to the site to provide "high quality workspace in a

secluded, campus-like setting." The site would be modernized for laboratories

and high technology uses.

New infrastructure would be built as needed. Refitting existing buildings

would be cheaper than building new ones, but new construction would be added,

as needed.

The applicant suggests a possible joint development effort with the town

involving school construction and commercial growth.

"Retail is inappropriate and housing is too demanding on town services," the

proposal states. Demolition would destroy the heritage of the site, it adds.

"The test of any reuse plan is the degree that it maximizes what currently

exists while providing the highest level of jobs and revenue ... Newtown

Technology Park does this more effectively than any other alternative," it

states.

The proposed redevelopment would increase local employment, expand the tax

base, and establish a regional technology Mecca, it adds.

ETA Properties

ETA Properties of Westport proposes a research and business park of 500,000

square feet or larger, plus 400 or more new homes. It describes its proposal

as "a high technology office park with light industrial and flex space

capacity" for emerging businesses and established companies.

ETA would reuse 75,000 square feet of existing space for business, commercial

purposes and flexible, light industrial space. Existing buildings with

historic and aesthetic value would be preserved and reused.

Buildings without economic, architectural or historic merit would be

demolished. Those buildings would be replaced with new modern office space and

light industrial flex space.

The intent is to create a business park with the ambience of a New England

college campus rather than a conventional commercial project.

An "active adult lifestyle community" would include 400 or more homes.

Attached and detached dwellings would be created in existing buildings and in

the form of new construction on open space land.

Existing buildings could be refitted for senior citizen housing, day care, the

performing arts, the creative arts and education. Existing space might be

donated to non-profit or community-based organizations or renovated and leased

out.

ETA states it expects its project would generate more local tax revenues than

it would require in local government services.

Kevin Fox Interests, LLC

Kevin Fox Interests, LLC, of Farmington suggests a major golf complex, plus

senior citizen housing and assisted-living housing.

Fox proposes a "championship golf course which provides playability to the

everyday amateur as well a stern test to the high level player. This would be

a daily-fee golf course of 18 holes and ultimately 27 holes."

Such a facility would carry 40,000 to 50,000 rounds of golf annually on "a

course that is both challenging and user-friendly. In a manner similar to

Richter Park in Danbury, this facility would be fee-structured to encourage

usage by Newtown residents," according to Fox.

The golf course design would foster open space preservation and pose the least

intensive and disruptive form of development, according to the proposal.

"The site lends itself extremely well to the creation of a spectacular golfing

experience with relatively minimal environmental impact," it adds.

Archstone Communities

Archstone Communities of Bellevue, Wash., develops and operates multifamily

housing and mixed-use complexes. The firm has built or is planning to build

more than 90,000 dwellings nationwide.

"Archstone Communities is actively seeking investment opportunities in the

Northeast and is interested in developing Fairfield Hills," it states. A

mixed-use development for the site would include housing, and possibly office

space, industrial, retail, hotel and assisted-living facilities.

Wilder Balter Partners, LLC

Wilder Balter Partners, LLC, of Elmsford, N.Y., proposes "rehabilitation of

some of the more prominent, historically significant structures at Fairfield

Hills, to be fully rehabilitated and to be used for both senior citizen

assisted- and independent-living facilities."

A small building would be rehabilitated to serve as a museum on the history of

Fairfield Hills. Another rehabilitated building could serve commercial,

laboratory, nursing, medical and professional uses. The firm also proposes

building a "championship 18-hole public/private golf course."

Initial construction would include new luxury attached apartments clustered

around the golf course, with 25 percent of the units designated as affordable

housing. The firm terms its proposal "The Renaissance at Fairfield Hills."

The firm states it is unclear which existing buildings would be preserved and

restored, noting that decision depends on the buildings' quality, the presence

of contaminants, and the overall layout of the development.

The Baker Companies

The Baker Companies of Pleasantville, N.Y., proposes demolishing a

considerable portion of the core campus and redeveloping the site with the

concept of a "New England village" in mind.

About 65 percent of the project would be put to residential use, with some

dwellings designated for senior citizen, assisted-living, and affordable

housing. About 35 percent of the redevelopment would have commercial/retail

use. A "substantial" amount of open space would be retained.

If the firm is chosen as a finalist for acquiring the property, it would

develop detailed plans for the site.

PBC

PBC of Newtown proposes a "premiere year-round recreation and conference

center" including a golf course.

Five major buildings at the campus would be renovated for new uses.

Maintenance buildings and existing one-family and two-family houses also would

be improved. Other buildings on the campus would be demolished to make space

for a theater and performing arts center, a conference and banquet facility,

and agricultural center and fairgrounds, recreation center, and a nine-hole

golf course with associated parking.

Toll Brothers

Toll Brothers of Huntingdon Valley, Penn., a nationwide home construction

firm, suggests a mixed-use complex for Fairfield Hills.

This would include multi-family housing for the elderly, assisted-living

dwellings and a hotel/conference center. The firm proposes a shopping center,

school, bulk storage facility, various office space, a museum for Fairfield

Hills and town history, a sports field, and equestrian trails.

Toll Brothers suggests converting the campus's chiller plant and boiler plant

into electrical co-generation facilities. It would preserve the most notable

buildings on the campus to serve as "architectural imagery" for the project.

"At this early period in the selection process, it is difficult to know what

works and what does not," it states. If selected as a finalist it would

develop more detailed plans for the property, it adds.

Becker and Becker Associates

Becker and Becker Associates of New Canaan proposes a mixed-use residential

development. It would rehabilitate all buildings to preserve historic

character, renovating the larger buildings to provide affordable housing and

market-rate housing, creating an estimated 400 to 700 dwelling units.

Bridgeport Hall would be renovated for use as a community/recreation center.

The firm states it does not expect there would be significant demolition or

new construction at Fairfield Hills.

Proposed as uses for the property are senior citizen housing, congregate

housing, elderly housing, educational facilities, greenhouses, a garden shop,

child and adult daycare facilities, town offices, art/culture spaces, artists'

housing, recreational uses, affordable housing, luxury apartments and a

fitness center/clubhouse.

Community Builders

Community Builders, Inc, of New Haven proposes a combination of rehabilitating

the oldest historic buildings and some new construction for a mixed-income,

mixed-use residential complex, including commercial and retail elements.

The central campus, including Canaan House, Greenwich House, Kent House,

Shelton House and Bridgeport Hall, would be preserved for commercial use such

as software development, back office space, retail space and technology

incubator space.

Cochran House would become an assisted-living facility. Litchfield House,

Fairfield House and Bridgewater House would become one-bedroom and two-bedroom

apartments for senior citizens. The firm would rehabilitate existing duplex

houses and build new duplexes.

"Live/work" residences would be created, including affordable housing for

young adults, the middle-aged and the elderly.

Recreational open space would be provided. Town facilities would be retained

in Canaan House.

York Hunter

York Hunter, Inc, of New York City proposes a mixed-use residential complex

for Fairfield Hills.

This might include congregate housing, assisted living housing, a

hotel/conference center, an 18-hole golf course, research and development

facilities, a school, corporate headquarters, health facilities, and

commercial/retail space.

The firm says it would seek to maintain the historic character and aesthetics

of the property. York Hunter says it would be sensitive to environmental

issues, land conservation and the existing site layout.

Spectrum/Skanska

Spectrum/Skanska, Inc, of Valhalla, N.Y., proposes a mix of senior citizen

housing, retiree housing, stores, offices, a hotel/conference center,

recreation facilities, restaurants, and daycare facilities. The firm says it

would provide space for ballfields and other recreational community uses.

"The goal of the new Fairfield Hills community is to create a mixed use plan

that provides the area and its residents with a full spectrum of resources

while limiting the impact on local services, schools and traffic," it states.

The firm also states it would work to minimize the developmental impact on

water resources and traffic and also would preserve the site's historic

character.

Benefits of its project would include additional local tax revenue, jobs,

construction employment and end-use employment, according to Spectrum/Skanska.