Apartments proposed for Campbell Grain site in downtown Pawcatuck
> WATCH VIDEO OF PRESENTATION
The Day, July 20. 2020 8:15PM | Updated July 20. 2020 8:33PM
By Joe Wojtas Day staff writer
Stonington — A Boston-based developer has unveiled plans for 82 mixed income apartments on the site of the former Campbell Grain Building site.
Redevelopment of the site has long been considered a critical piece of the ongoing effort to revitalize downtown Pawcatuck.
Winn Companies, which builds and manages similar projects across the country, outlined the $30 million project at the end of Coggswell Street to the Economic Development Commission during a virtual meeting Monday night. A virtual public presentation is slated for July 29 at 5:30 p.m.
“Great project guys. This is going to make a big difference in downtown Pawcatuck,” commission member Jim Lathrop told Winn officials after listening to the presentation.
Commission member Kevin Bowdler agreed calling the project a “great opportunity."
"What’s great about this is that we’re creating a (residential) community where a community doesn’t exist,” he said, adding that it will bring more residents closer to the downtown commercial area.
The commission then voted to write a letter of support for the project.
“We couldn’t ask for a more above board investor/developer to be interested in our community,” commission Chairman Dave Hammond said.
Adam Stein, Winn’s senior vice president of development, told the commission, “We’re not in the business of building and then selling projects. We’re in the business of long time ownership or properties and being part of the community.”
Plans call for a four-story building over a garage with open space along the Pawcatuck River. The building would include a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Rents will range from market rate such as $1,800 a month for a two-bedroom unit to lesser monthly rents for tenants earning 30, 50 and 80% of the area household median income. Winn envisions renters coming from the Pawcatuck area.
Winn’s attorney for the project, Bill Sweeney of New London, said the project would require the town to grant about a half dozen variances and waivers of requirements such as those governing height, density and a project with all multi-family residential use. He also indicated Winn would be taking advantage of state affordable housing law that allows such projects to be built without meeting all zoning requirements.
Winn’s plan is to seek local zoning approval this summer and fall; in November apply for financing from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and Department of Housing, and begin construction in the November of 2021. The project would be complete in April of 2023.