Could a 19-story hotel-apartment combo be the spark Derby needs to revitalize downtown?
Seymour architect Joseph Migani and former Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri think so.
Staffieri and his family own Plaza on the Green, a 70s-era retail/office building (with a standalone bar/restaurant) on about an acre of land on the south side of the Derby Green at 101 Elizabeth St.
Migani is considering purchasing the property and redeveloping it into a combination “boutique” hotel and “millennial” housing.
It’s an estimated $50 million project, Migani told members of the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission during an “informal” presentation July 21.
The building’s ground floor would feature 3,500 square of retail space, with separate entrances for the apartments and the hotel, along with a restaurant and bar.
The second floor would include hotel amenities such as fitness and business centers, a 3,400-square-foot banquet hall, along with conference rooms.
Ninety-four hotel rooms would comprise floors three through eight.
About 100 apartments would take up floors nine to 19.
About 300 parking spaces would be built underground.
Migani, a Derby native, acknowledged it’s a “bold” plan for the city where he grew up.
In fact, he used the word “bold” at least nine times in his 30-minute conversation with the commissioners, saying Derby in its heyday was was home to “bold industrialists” who led the city.
“The bold gesture is to take this Plaza on the Green building, which is a nondescript, built-in-the-1970s building, and to replace it with something that is an icon that soars, with water views from three sides,” Migani said, referencing the views of the Naugatuck and Housatonic rivers to the east, west, and south.
Both hotels and new, market-rate apartments have been successful in Shelton, and the concept can work in Derby, Migani said.
Plus, the building could give a boost to restoration efforts at the Sterling Opera House, a venue the city wants to establish as an arts and culture hub.
Migani has not submitted formal plans. The goal July 21 was to merely introduce the concept to the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission.
The timing of the idea is appropriate, because Derby officials are updating the city’s plan of conservation and development. The commissioners have been meeting to talk about downtown Derby — the area of Olivia, Elizabeth and Minerva.
They’ve been talking about what works and doesn’t work in terms of zoning rules, and what changes can be made to promote the redevelopment of under-utilized properties.
While there is nothing in the local land use rules at the moment to green light what Migani talked about, the commissioners indicated a willingness to work with him.
There was an informal consensus among the commissioners that yes, the Plaza on the Green shopping center is outdated and needs to be redeveloped.
The obvious question — is something that tall right for Derby generally, and the Green specifically? The Sterling Tower Apartment building on nearby Olivia Street is just six stories.
The building’s height was the first question on the mind of commission member Steven A. Jalowiec.
“At first glance, it is overwhelming for the city. It doesn’t fit the character no matter what you do with it,” Jalowiec said.
Jalowiec said a building that tall might fit elsewhere in Derby.
At the same time, Jalowiec said he liked how the project complemented the Sterling Opera House, which is currently closed and in need of a complete interior renovation.
Migani said his proposal could give the opera house an economic shot in the arm. The architect and his associates have played a key role in restoring Seymour’s downtown business district into a quaint destination. The revitalization there is happening one business at a time, Migani said.
Jalowiec also said that in order to fully comprehend the proposal, the city would need to come up with a detailed plan for the surrounding downtown going forward. There is much to consider.
“I don’t think you can drop a unit like that in there in a vacuum,” Jalowiec said. “There has to be a plan developed that says, ‘OK, maybe this is the first step, what’s going to happen elsewhere?’”
Jalowiec also questioned why the hotel-apartment building had to be about 20 stories.
“Is that an economic break point? Could you do it in 10? Could you do it in 8?” Jalowiec asked.
Migani said creating the parking alone would be a huge expense, at $25,000 a space.
“There is a certain height that justifies that expense. You’re not going to do it in 15 stories and I don’t think you’re going to do it in 10. That’s the reason for the height,” Migani said.
The architect also said the project would benefit surrounding properties downtown.
“You’re talking a dramatic increase in land values once this building is built, and that changes the whole dynamic,” Migani said.
Theodore J. Estwan, the commission’s chairman, said his commission isn’t necessarily afraid of “bold” proposals.
He suggested commissioners review Migani’s comments on the concept and come back with questions in August.
“If a developer succeeds, so does the town. It’s a fact,” Estwan said. “But again, we have to make sure it fits with the entire character. We don’t mind something bold. This commission is not afraid of doing something like that, but it has to be something that fits.”
In an interview with the Valley Indy last month, Staffieri said he’s excited to see the project move forward.
He said his family are merely selling the property, and won’t have direct involvement once the shopping center is sold.
That being said, Staffieri said Migani’s vision is good for downtown Derby.
“We just don’t want to sell it to anybody. We want something to go in there that will start the growth of Derby,” Staffieri said.
