The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
‘Rentals are hot’
Housing development booming in town
BRANFORD — Motorists can see progress daily at the sprawling construction site where Metro Star is building 144 luxury apartments at the former Margarita Grill/Days Inn.
Some residents may be surprised to learn that between 350 and 450 additional multifamily residential units will be coming to town. Many may not have noticed these projects, since they are not as visible as work now underway across from Exit 55 on busy East Main Street.
These future develop
ments include recently approved projects, one that doubled in size earlier this year; and another that will offer affordable housing.
Reasons behind building boom
The flurry of new construction and flood of applications had been growing pre-pandemic, and has taken off this year, according to Town Planner Harry Smith.
“I think it’s always been busy to start — and it’s accelerated,” Harry Smith said. “I think the housing market was just heated up, and part of that was fueled by the pandemic and then national market conditions.”
“Rentals are hot,” he said about the boom. “I think the housing market is pretty intense in all sectors.”
The fact that the town has sewers paves the way for more multi-family development, the town planner added.
Smith said his office is also getting a lot of inquiries about future residential projects. “There may be more coming. They’re not in the door yet.”
Other developments lie ahead
Plus, there are approved developments on the books, some that have been amended to increase the size.
The Planning and Zoning Commission recently approved 147 units at Anchor Reef. The town had allowed the development on a smaller scale over a decade ago, but that phase was never built, according to Harry Smith.
The planned waterfront development is at the site of the former Malleable Iron Fittings building and grounds, near the Stony Creek Brewery on the Branford River.
Its newest phase, renamed Mariner’s Landing, doubles the size of the original proposal, to include four buildings housing 150 units. These will join phase one of Anchor Reef, built over 10 years ago, with 47 apartments in two buildings.
It appears that most of
these developments are built in phases.
Past Branford Hill on Route 1, the third phase at Summit Place, with 48 units at the site of the former Branford Hall Technical Institute, will soon be under construction.
The apartments would be in an “incentive housing overlay development” with 20 percent of the units as deed restricted affordable housing, Harry Smith said.
The first phase included 35 units in two former office buildings, not affiliated with the school, that were converted to apartments.
The clubhouse, new construction and part of phase two, was recently completed. Also included in this stage is a new building with 56 units, now nearing competition.
The planned development Atlantic Wharf, also owned by Milford-based apartment developer Metro Star at the site of the old Atlantic Wire, is stalled in court.
The town’s 2017 approval of the 10 building residential and commercial/office complex with 200 residential units is in effect through 2022.
“We remain optimistic that a settlement can be found for the Atlantic Wire property, and the project will proceed as planned,” Robert Smith [no relation to Harry Smith] of Metro Star said in an email.
This is in contrast to Metro Star’s rapid progress at the Days Inn site, known as Star Deluxe Branford.
Metro Star expects the first building of Star Deluxe to be finished this coming spring, and Robert Smith predicted that the entire project will be completed fall of next year.
What’s the draw to Branford?
A local Realtor cites the town’s proximity to New Haven, its coastal beauty, lively restaurant and bar scene, plus its “hometown feel” as attractions.
William Raveis Realtor Pam Kirkby, who lives in Branford, said the town is welcoming and offers many amenities to people just moving here. “It’s inclusive — I think that’s huge,” she said.
“Basically it’s a bedroom community for Yale (University). You can be there in 15 minutes,” Kirkby added.
And, there is a great mix in the population, she added, calling it “heterogenous — a vast array of backgrounds. You can find single-family, lower-priced homes on the very same street as you would find million-dollar homes. You don’t have the cookie cutter McMansions.”
“Single people feel very comfortable here — just as many as married and families (do). The attraction is for all walks of life,” Kirkby said, pointing to the variety of events hosted on the Town Green — from concerts, arts and craft shows, the Branford Fest, children’s activities, and even
fairs for pets and their owners.
Plus, she added, “There’s great nightlife. There’s fun restaurants and bars. For the active folks, there’s hiking trails; there’s biking.”
Kirkby tells her clients: “I could take my dog for an hour hike and be on the beach and in the woods in the same hour — it has so much packed in the area.”
Robert Smith agreed about the town’s appeal. “Branford has a nice blend of suburban-style living combined with a wonderful downtown for socializing, a comfortable lifestyle enjoyed by all generations.”
Kirkby noted that the Shoreline town is also a magnet for mariners. “It’s a huge hub for the boating community,” she said, citing several marinas and yacht clubs to choose from.
“The combination of the financial crises, the millennial pause to enter the housing market, and the general anti-development posture of
cities and town for decades, has led to a great shortage of homes, which, in turn, has led to pent-up demand,” Robert Smith said.
An ideal time for development
It’s time for new housing in Branford, he said.
“Branford’s housing stock is old — 47 percent of the existing homes were built before 1970. New housing supply is needed. It’s a development cycle that has been disrupted for decades,” Robert Smith said.
He also sees apartment availability as important for new residents and employers. “Branford is close to New Haven, one of Connecticut’s better job markets.
“Today, housing is critical infrastructure for companies looking to move to the area, and they must see a diverse housing stock capable of providing homes for all level of workers,” Robert Smith said.