Construction is underway at the corner of Burtis Avenue and Cherry Street, with completion for the new housing project targeted for early 2027.
The mixed-use development will include 25 residential units and 400 square feet of commercial space, spread across two multi-family buildings and four townhouses.
The plan was approved the following November 2022, following development by the Planning & Zoning Commission of new “inclusionary zoning” regulations.
Proposed view of development from Burtis and Cherry
“In 2021, the commission adopted inclusionary zoning regulations for our downtown commercial zones to try and incentivize builders to build multi-family affordable housing,” Town Planner Sarah Carey told NewCanaanite.com during an interview Tuesday at Town Hall. “The application for the project on Burtis and Cherry was the first to use the regulation. The Commission was really excited to see someone come in and follow the regulations while proposing a building with such high-quality materials.”
The development will include three units that are deemed affordable, while the other 22 will be sold at “market rate,” according to a presentation submitted to the Planning & Zoning Commission.
Proposed view of development from Main Street.
The largest structure, “Building A,” located at 21–25 Burtis Ave, will span 37,429 square feet and house 11 residential units, according to the presentation. “Building B,” at 11 Burtis Ave, will span 24,158 square feet, house eight residential units, and have 400 square feet of retail space. Both buildings will have underground parking and a common area.
According to Carey, the multi-family buildings will be two and a half stories tall, while the townhomes will rise three stories.
Of the four townhomes, two are designed to accommodate two separate households, Carey said. The townhomes will include a garage, multiple bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, and a kitchen. All units will range from one to three bedrooms.
Regarding the commercial space in “Building B,” the developers can do “almost anything,” Carey said.
“As far as zoning goes, they could do anything from a coffee shop to a walk-in store to office space,” she said.
Carey said she expects interest in the residential units of the development to be very high.
“The units should be very popular,” she said. “Just look at the Husted Lane building; they filled up really quickly once they were finished.”