As it extends its downtown streetscape and contractors forge ahead with the new $24 million Ives Bank headquarters, the city’s biggest redevelopment project so far is rapidly advancing several miles away with the conversion of the 10-story Crowne Plaza into apartments.
Officials earlier this year announced $100 million in private and public projects were planned or under way in downtown Danbury, Connecticut’s seventh-largest city, all part of a campaign to restore energy on streets that have stagnated for decades.
A key component of the drive is Danbury’s railroad line, which provides a transit connection to the main Metro-North service between New Haven and Grand Central Station.
Local government and business leaders are promoting transit-oriented development strategies to make far better use of the downtown train station, and there are some signs of fresh residential development getting under way.
This fall, the city approved plans for a 208-unit apartment complex on Main Street, and several smaller initiatives are in the works.
Still, the biggest project with construction actually under way is the conversion of the former Crowne Plaza in western Danbury into 198 apartments. Some units are already leased and more are coming on the market; the developer said renovations are getting completed at the rate of about one floor a month.
Dan Bertram, who previously built more than 200 apartments downtown, bought the struggling hotel in 2001 for $8 million with a vision of an apartment conversion. The property isn’t part of the transit-oriented development campaign; it is miles from Metro-North but ultra-convenient to I-84.
The Innovation Studios concept is targeted to work-from-home employees and other professionals; it offers micro-studios and one-bedrooms leasing for $1,475 to $2,075. During the long process to obtain city approvals, Bertram told officials that providing modern, high-quality housing in that price range wasn’t feasible with a project that had to be built from the ground up; converting the 1991-built hotel was a much more financially workable plan.
The complex is advertised as being designed for those “seeking a seamless live, work, collaborative and creative lifestyle.” Amenities include co-working spaces, bike racks, a fitness center, a pickleball court and basketball court, coffee shop and restaurant. The former hotel property includes abundant parking.
The small units are billed as “sleek” and “thoughtfully designed.” Studio units are 330 square feet, and the one-bedrooms measure 660. Apartment amenities include smart technology, quartz countertops, and a dishwasher and microwave.
Downtown, the most attention-grabbing change is the steel framework of the new Ives Bank headquarters going up at Main and White streets. Ives, formerly the Savings Bank of Danbury, has operated for 176 years and is considered the the oldest continuously functioning business in the city.
Last week, bank and city officials held a beam-signing ceremony to mark a waypoint in construction; the four-story building is scheduled to be completed next year.
“This is an important step in the revitalization of our downtown. Ives Bank has a rich history in Danbury and has been an incredible community partner” Mayor Robert Alves said at the ceremony. “This project will bring 70 professionals to Main Street, increase foot traffic, and help energize our local economy.”
Alves told The Courant that the residential initiatives downtown are about serving future generations as well as today’s residents.
“We are prioritizing a diverse range of housing options that meet the needs of young professionals, working families, and the seniors who have contributed so much to our city,” he said, citing projects at 30 Main and South Park, senior housing on Boughton Street, the Catholic Charities project and others.
The Crowne Plaza conversion, meanwhile, shows a path for successfully redeveloping large properties, he said.
“This model of development showcases what the future holds for converting existing empty buildings into new housing, which is a win for our residents and the city overall.”
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